Dragon Training
by phantomworks
Summary: Yugi is caught in a war between his village and the might race of dragons. He's a blacksmith who makes weapons for the war he doesn't support. This all changes one night when he captures... a dragon.
1. Chapter 1

Phantomworks; finally! The last one!

**Alice; you think.**

Phantomworks; hey! Don't go dissing my mellow!

**Alice; ? ... Who even talks like that anymore?**

Phantomworks: I does. (^^)

**Alice:… we have got to get you out more.**

Phantomworks: I don't own Yugioh or its characters, only this fanfic. Please enjoy!

Chapter 1

A small tri-color haired teen kicked a rock and watched it roll down the small rise on which he sat. Someone called his name. Sighing, he stood and brushed off his pants before walking in the direction of the calling. Once at the top of the hill where the shouting seemed to be originating, the teen peered around for the one who needed him.

"Yugi! Where have you been? I've been looking for you for hours! Get back in that smithy this instant!" an old man grabbed him by the collar and, despite his old age, dragged the teen behind him to the blacksmith shop. "How many times have I told you! You're to be learning the craft of the black smith day and night til ye can do it in your sleep!"

"I know, I know, Grampa." 'Yugi' agreed quietly as he was dragged to the shop. He was deposited on the floor. "Why do I have to though? Other kids get to be dragon hunters! Why can't I?"

"My boy, have you looked at yourself? You're too small to be of great help in battle and too kind-hearted. Why you couldn't even behead that chicken for dinner the other day." The old man crossed his arms as he stood over the boy. Yugi sighed and hung his head. His grandfather was right, but why did he have to be a blacksmith? It was making the tools that injured and killed dragons along with humans here on Draco Island. The weapons he made were for war.

Why did he have to be a part of any of this?

"Now stop stalling and get to work. Smelt those ores over there so that I have some new materials to work with." The old man ordered as he readied a hot piece of metal for the hammer.

Yugi complied without comment and quickly got rid of the impurities from the ores, creating pure metal. Handing it off to the man, Yugi slipped some extra leather straps into his pocket while the old man was distracted. After a few more hours of metal work, Yugi was allowed to take a break and he disappeared into the forest near the village.

Trees stood tall and strong as their leaves rustled in the wind. Small furry critters scattered about, some coming up to Yugi as he walked, already used to his presence. He smiled at them wistfully. How he wished that he could've been a forest creature, not having to deal with the battles of humans. Continuing on, he didn't even realize that night had fallen.

Horn calls alerted him that it was nearly time for the weekly raid that the dragons had on his village. He really should be there to help defend, or at least make weapons, but he really didn't want any more to do with the ongoing dragon raids. Slipping his hand into his pocket, he pulled out the leather straps.

They were about as long as his arm and about as thick as his pinky finger. He braided three together, then another three and another until he had four thick braided ropes lay before him. Quickly looking through the rocks on the ground, he pulled up the ones that he had found weeks before and had carved holes into. Lacing the ropes through the holes, he made a quick binding that could be thrown effectively by catapult and capture, but not injure, any creature-man or animal.

He stared at it. Could he only make weapons? Even though this was harmless, it was still to be used in fights. How could this ever bring peace to his village? Angered, he took them two at a time and swung them around, over his head and released them. Sailing through the air, he watched them curl in the night sky until the darkness over shadowed them.

An ear piercing howl sounded in the distance. Eyes wide, Yugi stood where he was. What was that? It sounded like an animal. Should he run? It sounded hurt. Was it dangerous? His feet moved automatically as he ran towards the sound that occasionally rang out over the forest. All at once, the piercing sound stopped and he with it. He could hear rustling in the space beyond the row of bushes in front of him now. Peering through them slowly, he nearly leapt out of his skin at what he saw.

Black scales shining in the moonlight, wings curved around it, a dragon lay sprawled on the forest floor. Its arms were tied to its side by leather straps. The leather straps of the weapon Yugi had made earlier. Crimson red eyes darted to Yugi's face and the boy fell back in shock.

He had done it.

He had caught a dragon alive.

Phantomworks; okay, people. This is the last one. No go vote!

**Alice: you're very happy aren't you?**

Phantomworks: yes. Yes I am.

**Alice: so what happens if two stories tie?**

Phantomworks; … (O_O) what?

**Alice; yeah, you gave everyone two votes, so what happens if two stories tie?**

Phantomworks: … WHY CRUEL WORLD WHY? WHY DO YOU HATE ME SO!

**Alice: yeah, I figured as much. Anyway, please review everyone, while I go get PW's brain fixed.**

Phantomworks; WHY WH~Y? (sobbing hysterically)


	2. Chapter 2

Phantomworks: The long awaited CHAPTER 2!

**Alice; took you long enough.**

Phantomworks: this had more popularity than Dragon Farm… wonder if it still does…

**Alice: probably not.**

Phantomworks: I don't own Yugioh or its characters, only this fanfic.

Chapter 2

The crimson-eyed scaled beast surveyed its captor with disgust. To be caught by something so small and defenseless, what a disgrace! Although the weapon used was by far the smartest in design for it captured before killing, insuring accuracy. Maybe there was more to this human than met the eye?

What did it matter? The dragon would be dead soon anyway.

Sensing movement, the dragon hissed at the human as it struggled to its feet and rushed over, probably for the final kill. Struggling, the dragon winced in pain as his tail gave a torturous throb.

Yep, something definitely ripped.

Snarling at the human, the dragon cringed as the flash of a blade caught his eye and struggled all the more.

"Sh! Sh!" The human urged, "I can't cut the ropes without hurting you if you _keep moving!_"

Wait, cut? Ropes? Why does the human lie when the dragon had only seconds to live? What was the point of tricking him now?

"This wasn't supposed to happen? I never meant to catch a…you." The human went on. There was a snap, but no pain. Was that one of the bindings? Dare he hope that the human was telling the truth?

"Oh no, what will happen when Grandpa finds out?! You can't tell him anything, okay?" two more snaps. The dragon wanted to stretch his now freed wings, but he dared not startle the human from its work. Not with the voices it could hear in the distance.

"Look at me now. Talking to a dragon as if it could understand me!" the human harped and the dragon would have snarled if there hadn't been another snap and certain voices chatted and echoed off the forest trees. The leader of the humans was coming. He needed to leave, quickly!

"Grandpa!?" the human answered back in surprise. Another two snaps. One more and he'd be free.

"Please, when you're free, don't eat me!" the human pleaded. Why should he listen to it? It had captured him! Well, it _had_ apologized immensely and cut him free…maybe he should spare its life like it had spared his?

An eye for an eye and all that.

A final snap and the dragon was free just as the light of torches shone on them. Thinking quickly, the dragon leapt onto the human, a mere kit compared to the others that had arrived. Growling menacingly, the dragon tightened his hold when the small body started to squirm, its instincts screaming at it to run. Waiting until the clumsy humans stumbled upon him, the dragon made an act of growling-building up until he let out a frightening roar.

The humans took up defensive stances, but the second of being caught off guard gave him enough time to take to the skies, leaving the puny humans behind. He had just gotten above the tree line when he began to plummet again. Shrieking in terror, he twisted and flexed his tail, trying to gain control, but he only spiraled more wildly. Craning his neck back, he could see the ground coming up to meet him.

Managing to right himself, his wings snapped out and slowed his descent just enough to not break any bones upon impact. Slightly dazed, he shook his head roughly and looked around to see where he had landed.

It looked like a small meadow or knoll with a small lake but no land exit. Tall sheer rock walls reared up before him, destroying any thoughts of climbing over them. In other words, he was trapped.

A flickering light source grew from one sections and he stilled instantly, thankful that his black scales were dull and filthy, opposite of their normal cleanliness. The one day he forgets to clean himself, he gets caught by humans and nearly killed, saved only by dark scales.

Destiny must be on his side.

Deciding that it'd be too risky to fly over the band of bi-peds while he couldn't control his own flight, he resigned himself to sleeping in the small knoll for the night. Hopefully, he'd live to see the sun come morning.

O0O0o

Up above, some humans looked over the side of the ledge, but could see nothing.

"It's not here!" one called, his sight the greatest of all at night. Yet even he could see no movement in the depression before them. "It must have taken off. Another direction?"

"You said you saw it fly this way!" an elder man pointed out.

"Yeah, well, my eyes ain't what they used to be!" the first argued back. "It ain't there, that's all I'm sayin', Solomon. We can look again in the morning."

"If we can find this place again." Solomon grumbled. "Yugi!"

"Y-yes Grandpa?" the small teen stuttered, knowing he'd get a long lecture and probably some lashings for his stunt. He hadn't meant to catch a dragon. Honestly, he hadn't!

Solomon was silent for a long time before he sighed. His grandson had had enough frights for one night. He would talk with him in the morning. Running a hand through his hair, he called out, "Malik!"

"Yeah?" a blonde haired teen answered.

"Take Yugi back to the house." Solomon ordered. "And make sure he stays there."

"Aye, aye!" the tan teen saluted before shooing Yugi ahead of him.

"…" Solomon stared after them, thanking his lucky stars.

"The boy's lucky." One of his men said. "That Nightfury had him on the ropes. If we hadn't'a come in when we did, well… I hate t'think of what we could've found."

"Yeah. Real lucky." Solomon agreed, suspicious. Looking out over the ledge, he glared into the darkness. Yet he couldn't prove anything and so his anger was for not. Pulling back, he let his torch light their way. "Come on men, back we go."

With the silence of trained hunters, they stalked through the forest, leaving the night in their wake.

O0O0o

"You're a lucky one, Yugi." Malik commented as they came to the chief's house. "If we were a second later, you would have been dragon chow."

"If I had been allowed to _fight,_ I wouldn't have been there in the first place!" Yugi shot back.

"So you're admitting to sneaking away." Malik crossed his arms and smiled cheekily. The younger boy glared at him. "Besides, I thought you were against the war? Why do you want to be on the front lines?"

"I don't! Well, I do… that's not the point! What I want is equality! All Grandpas' ever sees me as is a little kid!" Yugi threw his hands up in frustration. "I know that every time he looks at me, he wonders what's wrong with me! We're both short, but at least he has muscles! Experience! I'm left alone during the fighting and forced to watch the smithy!"

Looking down to the side, he let tears collect in his eyes, "What's wrong with me that I can't do what you guys do?"

"I think what you need is a little more muscle and a little less... this." Malik waved his hands towards Yugi.

"You just gestured to all of me." Yugi grumbled, angry tears sliding down his cheeks before he could stop them.

"Cheer up. I'm sure you'll figure it out sooner or later." Malik said, patting Yugi's shoulder. "Oh and don't cry. It ain't a manly thing to do."

"Right." Roughly, he scrubbed at his eyes, trying to dry his tears before his Grandpa could see.

"See ya later, Yugi!" the blonde said as he ran off. "Tomorrow's the first day of dragon hunt training! Maybe we'll see you there?"

"Yeah!" he called back, "Maybe!"

Waving, he watched until Malik disappeared from sight, and then dropped his arm to his side. "Yeah, maybe…when dragons are _tamed_."

He scoffed at his own pessimism. The chances of dragons being tamed were about the same as pigs flying.

Zero to zero, as in _never in your wildest dreams_.

o0O0o

Phantomworks: this was shorter when I first wrote it last year.

**Alice: and you decided to make it longer?**

Phantomworks; yep! Be grateful! And review!


	3. Chapter 3

Phantomworks: Just for all of you who are reading this, this isn't going to be _exactly_ like How to Train your Dragon. It's my spin off of it. If some facts aren't the same, don't run to me and point out mistakes. I made it that way on purpose.

**Alice: cause how can you have something more than friendship with a dragon that can't turn humans.**

Phantomworks: exactly. I don't own Yugioh or its characters, only this fanfic.

Chapter 3

The Great Hall was filled to the brim with Vikings of all sizes…but mostly big and hulking. Jarring mumbles weaved through the ranks as Solomon stood up to speak.

"It has come to my attention!" he shouted over his people. Instantly, they all hushed to bare whispers. "In light of last night's attack, it has come to my attention that the dragons are getting out of hand!"

A murmur of agreement spread through the crowd.

"They have stolen our sheep, eaten our crops and carried off villagers!" Solomon gestured with his hammer. "Why, last night, they almost made a meal of my grandson! So now, it's time to make them pay!"

"Yeah!" a chorus of cheers threw up before him.

"We'll make them pay the debt they owe us, make them think twice 'bout coming back here!" he shouted. Another yell shot up in eager agreement.

"We will go to the Nest and take them out, once and fer all!" he shouted even louder. The crowd fell quiet.

The Nest? The Nest was dead center in a thick fog, surrounded by sharp rocks and deadly barrier reefs. The battle ships sent there before, barely returned alive, if at all. A sharp sense of uneasy tainted the eager air.

Looking around, Solomon sighed before shouting. "Anyone who stays behind watches over Yugi."

"TO BATTLE!" the men yelled, all running out of the Great Hall. Nothing against Yugi, but the kid was danger prone! If it wasn't dragon's one day, it was mad sheep the next, or –heck! –even the stairs to his room.

The probability of the chief's grandson somehow killing himself versus that of surviving the journey to and from the Nest, made the Vikings eager for dragon blood.

As all of the men and fighting women raced out of the hall, Solomon turned to Malik who had just set down a cup of the good stuff. Standing and stretching, Malik picked up his axe. "Welp! Better go pack my gear!"

"Actually, Malik…" Solomon put a hand on the teen's shoulder. "I was hopin' you could stay and train the others."

"You mean, like, be the new Viking trainer?" Malik's eyes grew wide. The honor of being a trainer was one few knew. It was only given to those who had proven themselves in battle. Which was strange, because the only battle he had been in was one two years ago where he'd gotten a nasty bite and the one last night where…

"You want me here to watch Yugi, don't you…" he grimaced. He knew it was too good to be true.

"In part, yes." Solomon agreed. "My grandson needs the training. I can't have a repeat of last night, my heart can't take it. So I need you to train him and the others."

"Others?" Malik perked up. Maybe his job was legit after all!

"Joey and Ryou need training as well as Duke. The four of them together should keep your itching hands busy." Solomon crossed his arms with a proud smile. "Get them battle ready by the time we get back and you may as well keep the trainer's den."

"Wait, wait, wait." Malik paused. "You're saying that, if I get the four slow pokes into the ring and teach them the basics by the time the battle ships return, I get to be the _trainer_?!"

"Until you retire… or die." Solomon shrugged. "Whichever comes first."

"You're serious?!" Malik could barely contain his excitement. He _so_ wanted to do a little happy dance right here, right now!

"As serious as a Nightfury attack." Solomon said, face grim. Turning, he walked to the doors, pushing the giant heavy pair of wood planks opening with one hand. Looking back, he said, "I trust my grandson to you. Teach him well, or his death will be on your head."

With those foreboding words, Malik felt a shiver run up his spine. As the chief left the Great Hall, Malik suddenly found himself hoping that Yugi was competent enough to not get himself killed in the ring.

Well, there's only one way to find out…

o0O0o

"Yugi, I'm home!" Chief Solomon called as he dropped his axe by the door. "Yugi?"

"Coming Grandpa!" the teen called as he covered his drawing and closed his notebook. If his Grandpa were to ever see his drawings of dragons and non-war machines, he would be grounded for the _rest_ of his _life_! So he made sure to hide them well before he straightened his vest and faded red shirt and raced down the stairs.

"Welcome home." He greeted as he moved to the stove to check on the soup he had left cooking. The stew was coming along great. Only a little got burned this time! "Did you find Vikings will to go on the voyage?"

"O'course I did! Every last one o' them wanted a chance at those blasted dragons!" Solomon growled.

"You had me as the alternative, didn't you?" it wasn't even a question. Yugi knew that his Grandpa always used 'babysitting Yugi' as the alternative to any dragon-fighting or war-mongering adventures.

That bad thing was the number of volunteers for the adventures afterwards.

"Yugi, I had no other choice." Solomon said. "Nothing against you, but we have to drive the dragons out, once and for all!"

"Nothing against me?" Yugi slammed a metal pot down before he turned on his Grandpa. "Nothing against _me_?! Grandpa, you set up the act of looking after me as if it's a punishment to everyone in the village! It's bad enough that I can't fight, but now I'm looked at as a burden!"

"You are not a burden!" Solomon shouted, standing as he did. "You have skills! You contribute to the village!"

"Contribute? Skills?" Yugi's eyes narrowed. "Like what?"

Identical pairs of violet eyes stared off, glaring at the other as they waited for an answer or tried to make one up.

"There aren't any. Not even _you _can think of one." Amethyst eyes flashed angrily as the teen's anger simmered. "Why didn't you just kill me when father died?"

"I will not have you speak that way in my house!" Solomon slammed his fist into the table, making the forks and knives clatter on the table. "No human life is completely useless, especially not the child of my son!"

Silence bore down on them, but the tension only thickened.

_Child of your son…_ Yugi thought harshly, turning his eyes downwards. _That's the only reason you keep me here._ But he wouldn't say it aloud. He couldn't stand the thought of his Grandpa, his only family, agreeing with him.

So he wouldn't say it out loud, if only to keep it from being true.

Sighing heavily, Solomon ran a hand through his hair in exhaustion. "Tomorrow, we leave for the Nest."

At that, Yugi's eyes shot up. The Nest? _That's_ where he was headed?! But he would die!

"And tomorrow, you will start your training to be a true Viking." Solomon continued.

"Training?" Yugi questioned. "We haven't had a trainer since the last one was eaten by a Monstrous Nightmare. Who's gonna…?"

"Malik will be training you." Solomon said. "So listen to his every word and actually learn something for once."

"For once?" Yugi grumbled.

"You think you're a burden to society?" Solomon looked down at Yugi, a fact that the smaller hated. "Then learn to fight dragons and contribute just like everyone else. Now go upstairs. No dinner tonight for that little outburst."

Glaring at his Grandpa, Yugi bit his tongue against the scaling words he wanted to hurl. Turning his back, he took the stairs two at a time and slammed his bedroom door behind him.

Downstairs, Solomon sighed heavily and slumped down in his chair. How did it come to this? When Yugi was younger, he was a little bundle of joy, but now, in his teenage years, he was anything but. The two fought more than they got along and it seemed that anything Solomon said would turn the boy against him.

Was it because they couldn't spend as much time together as before? Or was it due to that one attack fifteen years ago that a pack of dragons snatched up nearly all the village kids? Was he lonely and couldn't hang out with people his age? Or was it… was it something deeper than that?

"Oh Yusuke…" Solomon stared at a painting on the wall that showed his son and his daughter-in-law, smiling and holding the two-year-old Yugi in their arms. The work was crude, but their happiness was obvious. "Yusuke, what have I done?"

o0O0o

Door slamming3 behind him, Yugi pressed his back against the wall, as if to keep his Grandpa out. But the man didn't follow, didn't try to barge in. He was left alone.

Sinking to his knees, Yugi felt his body tremble as he tried to keep the sobs in. How could his Grandpa say such a thing? Right before he went to the Nest? How could he do this to Yugi?!

Why couldn't he just be truthful for once?

Shaking his head, the teen scrubbed at his eyes to clear away the tears.

"Don't contribute to society." He growled, getting to his feet. "I'll show him!"

Sitting down at his desk, he pulled out a map of the island. Drawing a dotted line to where he had run off to the night before, he carefully checked the angle before he drew a line, then another and another, following the trail the men had walked in search of the Nightfury.

Soon, he had a path and general area of where the dragon could have fallen.

"Great. Tomorrow, I'll grab some weapons and go look for it." Yugi promised himself, even as he felt guilt rise in his stomach. "Once I bring back the head of a Nightfury, I won't be a burden anymore. I'll be… I'll be free…"

With that thought in mind, he checked and double-checked his map long into the night until his candle had shrunk to just a stub, then went out. By the light of the moon, he stumbled to bed and toed off his shoes. Climbing in, he buried himself in the fur-skin blankets and fell asleep as the darkness chased away his dreams.

o0O0o

Phantomworks: and there you have it.

**Alice: woo!**

Phantomworks; see you all next week!


	4. Chapter 4

Phantomworks: I finished! Whoo!

**Alice; and her beta read it.**

Phantomworks: I don't own Yugioh or its characters, only this fanfic.

Chapter 4

Shoving the last basket into the battle ship, Solomon rested his hands on his hips and turned back towards shore, getting one last look at his village, and his grandson who stood on the rocky ground.

"I'll be back in two weeks." Solomon called. Quieter, he added, "Probably."

"I'll be here!" Yugi yelled back, whispering, "Maybe."

"Chief! We're ready." A ship hand reported, making Solomon turn away. He didn't want to end things on such a sour note with his grandson. Who knows, this may be the last time they ever see each other!

But this was still his duty. He's a Viking. It's an occupational hazard.

"All right, men!" he shouted, climbing effortlessly into the boat. In a loud voice, he ordered, "Cast off!"

With a splash, the rope lines fell into the water, letting the fleet of ships free. To the booming beat of the drums, the oars were lowered into the rippling sea. Powerful down strokes sent the ships forward, racing into the unknown.

"All men tack down!" Solomon called. "We're in for a long journey so make yerselves comfortable!"

Turning back to land, he caught a glimpse of Yugi up on a ledge that overlooked the seas. He thought about waving, but decided it felt too wrong, too final. No, he would come back to his only family left, whether the boy liked it or not.

"Raise the sails!" he shouted. "Wind to the North East! Let's make way!"

o0O0o

Yugi watched the small sailing fleet grow smaller on the horizon until it was but a speck in the dark seas. Sighing, he turned from his vantage point and carefully trekked down the ledge.

"Next is the first day of training, then I can go look for my dragon." He muttered to himself. Making his way to the steel cage of a training hall, he heard the teens in front of him chattering amongst themselves.

"I can't believe it's finally here!" A tall blonde said. "I finally get t'train t'fight dragons!"

"I know right? Think we'll get any burns?" a raven haired teen answered. "Personally, I'm hoping for some mauling."

"It's only worth it if y'get _scars_." An albino answered sarcastically. It sounded like he wanted to be here even less than Yugi did.

"Yeah, injuries, pain, _love it._" Yugi added his two cents with a roll of the eyes as they all entered into the arena. The two excited teens looked back at him.

"Aw, what's he doin' here?!" the blonde growled, gold eyes lighting with a dark fire.

"Yugi is here to learn to fight just like the rest of you." A voice called from the other side of the ring. Stepping into the light, Malik put a hand on his hip as he greeted the four teens. "Welcome to your first day of dragon training."

Walking past the other teens, Malik gestured to a set of five doors. "Dragons are dangerous creatures, who breath fire and can cut a man's head clean off with one swipe of the tail. The dragons native to our island are the Deadly Nadder-"

"Fire power 18." Duke muttered, eagerness showing on his face.

"The Hideous Zippleback," Green gas slipped out from beneath the barred door.

"Attack level 12." Joey and Ryou shot the raven haired teen a look (which he promptly ignored).

"The Montrous Nightmare," The doors rattled as the dragon slammed into them.

"Speed 16." Duke looked almost giddy. Malik shot him a look.

"And the Gronckle."

"Jaw strength 8!"

"WILL YOU STOP THAT!?" Malik shouted; eyes narrowed in rage. How dare that teen take these dragons lightly! Given five seconds, any one of these dragons would swallow him whole.

Maybe Duke needed to be taught a lesson.

"Now, all of these dragons are very much alive and very deadly. Whoever shows the best skills and instincts during training with get the honor of killing their first dragon. A Monstrous Nightmare." Malik explained, wandering over to the Gronckle's cage.

"Uh, Yugi alre'dy killed a Nightfury," Joey pointed out tauntingly. "So does 'sat mean 'e's disqualified?"

Duke and Ryou snickered at the blonde's comment, much to Yugi's embarrassment.

"That's enough out of you." Malik ordered as he put his hand on the lever next to the Gronckle's door. Immediately, everyone sobered up.

"What… what are you doing?" Ryou paled. "Aren't you going to _teach_ us first!?"

"I believe in learning on the job." Malik grinned sadistically as he pulled the lever. Instantly, the doors flew open, a stocky brown dragon with insect like wings streaking from the dark recesses. Wide eyes gazed around at the familiar arena, whirling in a circle as it panted like a dog. The teens scattered as it buzzed through the air.

"Now, dragons can attack at any time. In case of attack, what do you need?" Malik shouted, keeping well out of the aim of the dragon.

"Insurance?" Ryou guessed.

"Burn cream?!" Duke yelled just before he ducked out of the way of the charging reptile.

"A shield!" Joey answered more to himself than anyone else.

"Exactly!" Malik beamed. Immediately every teen dove for a shield. "If given the choice between a shield and a sword, always go for the shield. You can use it as cover to get another weapon."

Ryou reached for one, only to have it burst into flames. Screaming, he pulled his hand back, running in the other direction.

"Protection, yes. Fire proof? Not so much." Malik said. "Ryou, you're out."

As he was explaining, the blonde noticed the smallest teen having trouble with his shield. Stalking over, he continued to speak. "On the battle field, speed is also a factor. Be slower than the guy next to you and you're dragon food."

Shoving the shield onto the teen's arm, he pushed him back into the line of fire. A ball of flames shot from the brown dragon's jaws, aimed at Joey. The blonde barely ducked in time, instead sending the fireball scattering against the rock walls.

"Fire is another thing." Malik shouted over the Gronckle's gurgles. "Each dragon has a specific shot limit before they run on empty. How many shots does a Gronckle have?"

"Um, nine?" Joey replied, ducking under his shield.

"No! Six!" Duke brightened; glad his skills in statistics came in handy. Yet this also let his guard down. Inhaling, the reptile spat at him, sending his wooden shield into charred dust. "AH!"

"Duke, you're out." Malik called, watching the teen cry as he ran to the safety of the iron gate with Ryou. "Six shots is an average at best. Other dragons have other limits. Knowing a dragon's limit could save your life."

_It did mine._ He thought, remembering his first battle. The bite mark shaped scar across his back and chest ached with his memories, but he shoved it away. Now was not the time to reminisce with a dragon on the loose and two untrained teens against it.

"Looks like it's just you and me." Yugi commented to Joey who crouched in a battle stance right next to him. The blonde's head popped up as the Gronckle set its eyes on them.

"Nope, jest you." With that, he somersaulted out of the way, keeping low and out of the range of fire. Eyes jerking up, Yugi paled as the Gronckle growled, smoke coming from its nostrils.

Sidestepping, he dodged the first blast, only to trip and send his shield rolling across the ground. Scrambling to his feet, he raced after the shield, his only form of protection against the enraged dragon. Just as he reached it, a fire ball landed at his feet and threw up a wall. Flight instincts taking over, Yugi shot the other way, arms wheeling to keep him from tripping again.

Chase instincts falling into place, the Gronckle shot after him, weaving to and fro like an angry hornet. Trying to shake the dragon off his tail, Yugi zigzagged and went every which way until he ran smack into the wall. Whirling around, he started to run, only to come face to face with the dragon.

Grinning triumphantly, the Gronckle sucked in air, jaws opening wide. Amethyst eyes widened in fear before shutting tight against his death.

Only for the coming blast of fire to hit the rock above his head.

"And that." Malik grunted as he yanked on the Gronckle's ear. "Is six, back to your room!"

Once the dragon was safely behind barred doors, the trainer looked back at his students. They all looked worse for wear, but they were alive. That had to count for something. "Dragons are not to be taken lightly. They are not toys or pets. They are monsters."

"They will always attack, always fight back, and _always_…"he trailed off, giving Yugi a stern look." _Always,_ go for the kill."

Shivering, the small teen took a step back, gulping.

"Now, enough training for today." Malik said, lightening the tense air. "Come back tomorrow bright and early!"

"Man, did y'see that!?" Joey whispered to Duke. "He jest went up t'it an' yanked its ear! Den wrestled it back int'its cage!"

"How many years do you think it will take to be able to do that?" Duke replied, excitement shining in his emerald eyes.

"Probably a lot longer than you'll last." Ryou snickered. Continuing the discussion, the trio walked off, leaving Yugi alone. The small teen trailed behind, pausing at the scorch mark that could very well have been him.

"Always goes for the kill…" he repeated the words their mentor had said." If that's true…"

He ran his fingers over the charred rock, thinking hard. "Why didn't _you_…?"

o0O0o

Phantomworks: this feels like a good place to stop.

**Alice: so, how close are you sticking to the plot line?**

Phantomworks: well, before it wasn't going to be at all, but now… eh, we'll just have to see. Please review!


	5. Chapter 5

Phantomworks: Hiya. I'm back.

**Alice; and this one's longer.**

Phantomworks: I don't own Yugioh or its characters, only this fanfic.

Chapter 5

"Not here." Yugi sighed as he stared at the forest in front of him. Trees, rocks and bushes as far as the eye could see. That's all he saw, however, that was not what he was looking for. Bringing his map up to eye level, he checked his carefully drawn map and the path that curled through the forest.

"Not here." He sighed again, making a mark on the page, one of many marks. "Not there, not there and not _here!_"

Growling, he tore up the map, throwing the pieces of yellowed parchment to the ground. A breeze blew by, scattering them into the wind. Looking after them, his shoulders slumped and he dropped onto a rock to sit. "Why can't I find you? You can't have disappeared over night! At least, not near the cistern where you landed."

Running a hand through his hair, he stood back up and walked forward, wandering around aimlessly. Yes, he could go back to the village, but there were hours left until dinner and absolutely nothing to do in the small town. Besides, if he couldn't find one little dragon, how was he going to be any good at dragon slaying?

Huffing in frustration, he shoved a branch behind him, only for it to swing back and smack him in the head. "OW!"

Rubbing the back of his head, he glared up at the offending branch, and then gasped. The tree the branch belonged to was bent and cracked at the base, as if something had rammed into it. The trunk was completely bent over and as he followed the trail of destruction, he could pick out skid marks in the damp earth.

Heart beat quickening, he picked his way through the debris and followed the gap, hiding behind trees when he thought he heard movement. Stealthily, he crept to the end of the path where the ground suddenly dropped off. Peering over the side, his eyes darted to and fro for movement of any kind.

Silence.

"Huh…" he mumbled to himself as he started to back away. Suddenly, the sound of nails against rocks made him look back, only to come face to face with a _Nightfury_. "AH!"

"GRAH!" the Nightfury roared as it fell back over the edge. Furiously, its claws scrabbled to keep it stable, but the cliff was flat with no footholds for a dragon, for a human, maybe, but not a dragon.

Instead of wasting energy fighting gravity, the dragon turned and threw out its wings, gliding down to the expanse of grassy soil beside a small lake. It landed harshly, stumbling as it did so.

Awe filled Yugi right before that awe turned to eagerness. Quickly, he took out a few pieces of folded parchment and a piece of charcoal. Eyes darting from his work to the dragon, he quickly sketched what had to be the only picture of a Nightfury in the history of Vikingdom. Once he was done, he watched the dragon for a bit longer.

The black scaly reptile beat its wings, gaining altitude as it wheeled around the cistern before it tried one more turn. Surely it would make it out this time! However, that was not the case. Right before it could reach the ledge, its flight faltered and the Nightfury was sent crashing to the ground.

"Why don't you just…fly out?" Yugi glanced between his picture and the actual Nightfury. His picture had the dragon's wings out spread, two small wings in the same position further back. Yet it was the tail that was off in his drawing. Where he had drawn two fan like appendages, only one was truly straight.

The other was bent and mangled in a way that couldn't be good.

"Oh…" Yugi's awe died in his throat as he realized the mistake he had made. "You can't fly…"

Having seen something moving, the dragon waddled over to the smooth lake, carefully keeping its tail off of the ground. Sharp eyes trained on the surface of the water, the Nightfury paused before it lashed out, head diving into the water, trying in vain to catch a taunting fish. Pulling back, the reptile shook itself dry.

Looking sadly at the lost fish, the dragon's eyes alighted on the reflection of the cliff walls on the water. Jerking its gaze up, sharp red eyes pinned Yugi with a calm, piercing stare. It seemed to say '_you did this to me'._

Feeling sadness well up in his chest, Yugi backed away from the edge of the cliff. Breathing harshly, he shoved his picture and charcoal back into his vest and pushed himself off of the ground. Sniffling, he started to walk away from the sight. His walk turned into a jog and then into a run as he raced mindlessly through the forest that looked exactly the same everywhere he went.

Abruptly, he tripped over a rock and flew to the ground. He lay there, sprawled out as tears ran down his cheeks.

How could he have done something so horrid, so… savage?! The Nightfury's tail had looked broken beyond repair. What if it had been a wing, or worse?

Could the Nightfury ever fly again? Would it starve down there?

Sobbing brokenly to himself, Yugi curled up into a ball until he could finally catch his breath. Rolling to his knees, he wiped his eyes with the back of his sleeve and scrubbed at his nose to clean off the snot. Stumbling to his feet, he walked once again, more subdued this time.

Righting his sense of direction, he turned at a familiar rock and started back home. Along the way, he found a small stream that he used to wash his face and clear away the signs of tears. No man ever cried, especially not a Viking.

Letting his skin dry with the sun, he thought of what he would do with the Nightfury. He could tell the few remaining Vikings of it…but they would kill it for sure. Nothing that beautiful should be killed!

He shook his head. No, the Nightfury was dangerous. If anything, they should kill it! With the way it was so close to the village…but that was his fault, wasn't it? If it hadn't been for his stupid, weapon making hands, the Nightfury would never have gotten caught the way it had. It deserved a better death than slaughter.

So it was decided that he wouldn't tell the villagers, yet what could he do with the dragon? Surely in a few days or weeks when the dragon ran out of food, the beast would die of starvation. Then all of his work would be for naught.

Could he… maybe… feed the dragon? If nothing else, he could throw a couple fish into the hole and hope that the reptile would eat them. It seemed to like the fish in the pond. Maybe he could do that…

A few hours later, Yugi was looking over a couple plump looking fish, trying to decide if type would matter to a Nightfury. Maybe he'd go with a smoked eel…

"Hey, Yugi!" Malik said, appearing at his side.

"GAH!" Yugi jumped, then tripped over himself and nearly did a face plant. "Don't _do_ that!"

"I have to get my laughs in somewhere." Malik said, shrugging. "Are you going to eat with the rest of us?"

"Um…" the smaller teen eyed the fish longingly. "Well, I was actually going to-!"

"Great!" Malik chirped, grabbing one fish and stabbing a stick straight through it. Amethyst eyes growing wide, Yugi felt bile lurch into his throat before he swallowed it back down. "Come on then! Up you go!"

"Wait!" But Yugi couldn't protest because Malik was already prodding him up the wooden steps to the look-out where the other trainees were waiting around a closely guarded fire.

"The fun~ has arrived~!" Malik called as the two stepped onto the landing. "And I brought Yugi."

_So glad to know where I stand_. Yugi thought miserably as his fish was set to roast over the fire. Curious, he tuned out the rest of the group as he took a look around. Normally, he was banned from being in the look-out, something about heights and tripping. Now he got to have his first look at what he'd never been allowed to see.

He was sorely disappointed.

The walls were grimy and the space was cramped. The covering leaked and the fire pit was placed dangerously close to wood. In fact, there was only one thing that was respectable about the place.

That was the view of the whole night sky through the windows.

"Wow…" Yugi breathed as he stared out over the island. From how high he was, he could almost make out the dip in the land where the Nightfury resided. If he could just be a _little_ taller…

"Yugi! Join us!" Malik ordered. "I'm about to tell the tale of how I got my scar!"

"Lovely." Yugi muttered as he sat down and took a bite out of his fish. It was unseasoned and slightly overcooked. Just the way he liked it.

"So there I was, up on the barber's shop, squaring off against the Monstrous Nightmare!" Malik started, his voice deep and spooky. "The fires blazed around us and the screams of my brethren were at my back! Its sharp, beady eyes stared right at me and I knew, in that moment, one of us wouldn't come out of this alive!"

The other teens gasped.

"Right as it spat out a stream of death fire, I took my shield and ducked under the spray. My shield caught fire, but I managed to get close enough to land a killing blow." Malik leaned in closer, "Or so I thought."

The tension thickened in the room as the teens waited with bated breath.

"At the last second, the beast pulled back and dodged my sword. In the next, its teeth were on me, digging into my flesh!" Malik's eyes looked haunted, as if he'd recalled this one too many times. "To this day, I still don't know what I did to make it release me, but as soon as it did, I slammed the butt of my sword into its head. It wasn't the killing blow I'd hoped, but I could fight no longer."

Malik shook his head. "Blood loss made my legs fall from under me and the dragon took that chance to escape. I was rushed to the shaman's hut and woke up with the beauty of a scar that I now have."

"Show us?" Joey asked, golden eyes wide with wonder.

"Sure." Malik stood and slid off his shirt. Smooth, tan skin was interrupted by jagged pale marks. The teeth marks traced themselves down his midline and across his ribs. At his side, there was a gap, where the upper and lower jaws had not closed. On his back were the same marks, curving upwards to his neck and shoulders.

On anyone else, it would look gruesome, but on Malik, it looked tough.

As the mentor slid his shirt back on, Duke stood up, absolutely enraged. Emerald eyes burning, he exclaimed, "I swear to avenge you, Malik! I will cut out the teeth of every dragon I find and use them as jewelry for what they did to your beautiful skin!"

"Er…" Everyone just stared at Duke for a second before Malik shook his head.

"It's not the teeth you have to worry about." Malik said, falling back into 'teacher' mode. "It's the wings and tail. If either is damaged, the dragon isn't going anywhere. A grounded dragon is a dead one."

At that, Yugi's eyes widened and the fish fell from his hands. Suddenly, he realized the enormity of what had happened to the Nightfury.

_Oh no. What have I done?!_

o0O0o

Phantomworks: pretty long, right?

**Alice: make it longer.**

Phantomworks: (sighs) I know. I'll try. Please review and encourage me!


	6. Chapter 6

Phantomworks: sorry that it took so long for me to update! I was in the hospital for a while.

**Alice; but she's back now!**

Phantomworks; and dying to write! I don't own Yugioh or its characters, only this fanfic.

Chapter 6

Cautiously, amethyst eyes peered around the stone column of the path he had found through the rock walls of the cistern. Said natural well was deadly quiet, not a shift in the grass or ripple in the water to be seen. Seeing no shadows or movement of any kind, Yugi slowly stepped forward, sliding through the tiny entrance.

Just as he was about to enter, his shield wedged itself between the two stone walls.

"Gah! Really?!" he muttered to himself. Frowning, he tried to force it through the opening, but it held fast. Giving up, he ducked under it, deciding to leave it behind.

He probably didn't even need it, right?

Bright eyes gazing around, Yugi watched for any sign of the dragon he knew for a fact was trapped in the clearing, but the place was deathly still. Had the dragon managed to get out? No, that was impossible.

"Here dragon…" the teen called gently. Slowly, he reached into his vest to pull out a somewhat slimy fish. Holding it out at arm's length, he cautiously crept forward, whispering a scared, "Come out, come out, wherever you are!"

When he had made it to the center of the grassy clearing, he straightened up, confusion playing over his features. "Huh…maybe it did leave…"

Behind him, red eyes gazed at the teen with guarded curiosity. The dragon recognized the features and movements of the two-legged human, remembering the teen from a few nights before. Back then, the human had let him go. Had it decided it was time to kill him? Is that why it had invaded his territory?

Then he caught the smell and sight of the fish in the boy's hand.

Climbing over the rock where he was perched, the dragon froze when his claws scraped against the stone, jerking the human's attention to him. Continuing slowly, the reptile crept down to the ground with a cat-like gait, red eyes wide with curiosity and hunger.

Uneasy, Yugi backtracked before he could think better of it. Laughing nervously, he offered the fish to the seeking dragon. "H-hey there… big guy… you hungry?"

Sniffing eagerly, the black reptile side-stepped a little closer, eyes trained on the fish. Hungrily, he licked his lips, stretching his neck forward and opening his mouth. Suddenly, a glint of metal caught his eye and he pulled back with a snarl, red eyes narrowing angrily.

How could he have thought the human was a friend?!

Sucking in a breath, Yugi tensed, bringing his hands back into his space bubble. Stiff as a board, he pulled his vest to the side, revealing the knife he'd been made to keep at his side every time he left his house. At the sight, the Nightfury's snarl grew louder.

Being careful not to move too quickly, Yugi slid his hand down his side to the hilt of the knife, wrapping his fingers around the beaten metal.

The Nightfury growled.

Flinching, the teen carefully took the knife from his belt, held it out from his body, and dropped it carelessly to the ground. The dragon's growls quieted, but red eyes were still trained on the deadly weapon. Snorting, the dragon shook his head to the side.

Flipping the blade up onto the toe of his boot, Yugi expertly flicked it off to the side and into the water. There was a moment of silence as the Nightfury processed what just happened. Once it realized what Yugi had done, the dragon perked up, sitting back on its haunches with big, lovable eyes.

"Okay, back on good terms I see…" Yugi mumbled to himself, offering the fish up again. Eager, the dragon loped forward, neck craning towards the smelly meat. Excited, the Nightfury opened its mouth wide, showing off healthy pink gums. "Toothless? But I thought you had-!"

Two rows of sharp white teeth shot out and, in the blink of an eye, snatched the fish right from Yugi's hands.

"Ah!" the teen cried, yanking his arms back. Bringing his fingers to his face, he quickly counted his digits. 1-2-3…9? Nine?! What happened to te- oh, there it is.

While Yugi had his mini panic attack, the Nightfury swallowed the fish down whole in two gulps. Swallowing thickly, the dragon flicked its tongue out over its lips before resettling its gaze onto the human. Trotting forward, the black reptile blinked its large red eyes as it stalked toward the teen.

"Oh no." Yugi muttered as he stumbled back. "No no no! There's no more food!"

Tripping over his own feet, he scrambled backwards until his back hit a large boulder, stopping his retreat. Cowering against the stone, he tried to hide behind his knees as he pleaded, "Don't eat me!"

The Nightfury continued forward until they were an arm's length away, then it reared up… and sat back on its tail.

Peeking out from behind his arms, Yugi blinked at the dragon in confusion. The black reptile copied the move, an ear twitching. Uncurling from his fetal position, Yugi laid his hands at his side, relaxing slightly. The black dragon flicked its tail, ignoring the slight sting of broken bones and scabbed skin.

"So far so good…" Yugi looked over the 'terrifying' dragon that actually… looked pretty… cute. Smiling at the thought, Yugi held back a snicker as he pondered the dragon's attempt to copy him.

Suddenly, the dragon's stomach gurgled and a nasty sound came from its throat as it threw up half of the fish it had eaten, landing it on Yugi's lap.

"Ew!" Yugi cringed and wrinkled his nose in disgust. "Er… thank… you?"

The dragon stared at him.

_**Eat it.**_

Amethyst eyes widened. What was that just now? Looking at the dragon, Yugi blinked, confused by the expectant look on the Nightfury's face. Turning his gaze down to the half-eaten fish on his lap, Yugi looked from it, to the dragon and back.

It couldn't seriously want him to…?

Stealing himself, Yugi lifted the slimy fish to his lips, opening his mouth against his will. Pausing, the teen saw the dragon lick its lips, its stare penetrating. Biting into the raw meat, Yugi fought to keep the disgusting tasting flesh in his mouth as he offered the fish back up with a strained sound.

The dragon simply stared, making a swallowing sound.

"Mm!" Yugi grunted, dropping his hands with an 'are you serious?!' look. Forcing himself to swallow, Yugi doubled over as the meat came right back up, but he held it in and swallowed. Shuddering in disgust, Yugi looked up at the Nightfury, looking for approval.

Red eyes stared at him steadily.

_**You ate it!**_

Ignoring the words (because he was obviously going crazy), Yugi ventured a small smile. Shakily, the dragon copied it, showing off its gums in a funny looking dragon grin.

As he stared, the teen realized that the black scales of the dragon looked surprisingly smooth, not at all like the armor that he'd come to know from the training dragons. Did it feel any different? Setting the fish aside, Yugi slowly got to his feet and reached forward, his hand going to touch the shiny black scales of the other.

With a snort, the dragon's eyes narrowed and it turned tail to run, putting distance between it and Yugi. Far away on a flat area under a tree, the Nightfury turned in a circle, burning the grass and dirt beneath its feet with a plume of flame before settling down on the charred material.

Sighing, Yugi steeled himself before sneaking over to the nesting dragon. He would feel those scales even if it killed him! He just…hoped it didn't.

Just as he was about to stroke those shiny scales, crimson eyes shot open, pinning him with a glare. Snapping his hand back to his side, he turned stiffly and retreated before the dragon could make him go away.

Huffing, the Nightfury stood and lumbered off, not liking that the human had been able to get so close to him. Climbing up the tree, it looped its tail and claws around a strong branch before hanging upside down to sleep. This way, it was high above the human's head and far out of reach.

Why did the human want to touch it so bad? He was not pet! Besides, as soon as he was asleep, he was sure that the human would go away and leave him to his fate. Closing his eyes, the dark reptile wondered briefly what it would be like to be friends with a human instead of fighting and eating them…

o0O0o

When he woke up, the Nightfury blinked his eyes, getting his vision to focus on the empty clearing once again. Except… it wasn't empty.

Several meters away, the strange human sat on a boulder with a long stick in hand, digging at the dirt. He hadn't left? But the sun was setting by now. Surely the human had others looking for him, didn't he?

Slipping off the branch, the black dragon wandered over, curious as to what the human had found to entertain itself. Peering over the tiny creature's head, the reptile followed the movements of the stick as it stilled momentarily before moving again to make lines in the soil.

The lines criss-crossed and looped around one another until it formed a picture of… was that him? That was him! It was a picture of him in the dirt!

_**Me!**_

Padding over to a small sapling, the Nightfury missed the human's sigh as he ripped the tree out by its roots. Dragging it through the dirt much like he'd seen the human do, the dragon backtracked and wove the lines over the ground, dancing with his brush as he drew a masterpiece on the ground. Twirling, he was careful to keep his tail light to avoid ruining the delicate lines.

Looking up, he jerked his head over to the human, making sure that he didn't miss a single detail. Finding a mistake, he jabbed the sapling into the ground before finishing off his picture and stepping aside.

Prideful, he cooed at the human as the little creature stood to examine his work. He growled when the other stepped onto a fragile line and cooed when the human lifted its foot on command. Snarling when the human repeated its offense, he purred when it retreated and finally stepped _over_ the line.

_**Not smart human.**_ He decided.

Crimson eyes watched with interest as the human made a game of stepping over the lines, careful to not disturb his picture, but having fun at the same time. Why hadn't he thought of that?

Soon enough, the human had backed up all the way to where he stood. When he snorted, the little creature froze, turning with slight trepidation. Wine red eyes stared into glittering amethyst as the dragon noted the unusual color. Or was it unusual for a human?

When a hand came up, the Nightfury snarled, backing away from the hand. What was with the human trying to touch him?! Didn't the human know he could bite its head off with one move? How could that possibly be something that the human missed? Was it just sick in the head?

Oh gosh, would he _catch_ it?

Then the human did something that surprised him. Turning its face away, the human closed its eyes tight and simply held up its hand. It wasn't truly trying to touch him. It was… it was giving him a _choice_.

_**Different…**_

Curious, the black dragon sniffed at the human's skin, noting how it smelled different from other prey. If it smelled different, would it feel different too? Unable to help itself, the reptile pressed its snout experimentally against the human's paw, feeling the warmth emanating from the other's skin.

The warmth was comforting at least, warming his scales slightly and reminding him of sunny shores of an island far away. Enjoying himself, the Nightfury hardly realized when the human had opened its eyes, but when the two locked gazes, they were trapped in a world all their own.

For all of two seconds before the black dragon pulled away with a snort.

In a flash, the black dragon ensconced itself in the tree, making sure to keep its distance from the strange human. The human below slumped its shoulders, but looked rather happy with itself. With a whisper, the human left the same way it had arrived, disappearing through the rock walls.

Yet the whisper still echoed in the Nightfury's mind long after the human had left.

"_Good night… Yami…"_

o0O0o

Phantomworks: and there you go!

**Alice; hey, why is this one longer than the other?**

Phantomworks: since it's based off a movie, the plot line is already in place… that and I have a feeling that this one will take longer than the other.

**Alice; oh.**

Phantomworks: and I'm surprised by the observance of my readers. I put up a poll before I went to the hospital and I come back to find 24 people already voted! It's amazing.

**Alice; people must be stalking your polls.**

Phantomworks; that's gotta be it. Anyway, please review and make sure to vote on the poll!


	7. Chapter 7

Phantomworks: I got it back!

**Alice: yay! Let me read!**

Phantomworks: I don't own Yugioh or its characters, only this fanfic.

Chapter 7

Rain.

Of _course_ it would rain right as Yugi was walking through the woods. It would make absolute sense for the skies to open up and try with all their might to make him trip and fall before he got home. Because he could _definitely_ explain to the others how he got so dirty if he had been working in the blacksmith shop.

_Right_…

"Oh for the love of-!" Yugi cursed as he tripped for the umpteenth time in ten minutes. How long could the walk home possibly be?! He was sure the town was right over that-!

_There!_

"Finally." Yugi sighed, racing over to the Great Hall right in time for dinner. He almost slipped right outside the main doors, but managed to catch himself and slide through the doors without anyone the wiser.

"So remember!" Malik was saying right as the youngest teen came in, shivering and soaking wet. "Always keep your wits about you! Even a dead branch can become a weapon in the face of danger!"

"Wow…" the other teens around him gasped in awe. Really, they were way too enamored with the oldest teen. Almost like celebrity worship if you asked Yugi. The smallest teen just snorted as he grabbed his food and drink.

Just then, a rumble of thunder sounded over their heads. Malik's eyes jerked up, as if seeing through the ceiling to the dark clouds above. Turning his eyes back to the teens, he shrugged, "No more tonight."

"Aw, but Malik!" the teens whined, wanting to hear more tips and stories from their mentor.

"I said enough." Malik said firmly. "But be ready bright and early tomorrow for training. And make sure to study up. You never know when knowledge will be the only thing to save you."

With that, he threw a thick leather-skinned book onto the table before them and left.

"We 'ave t'_read_?!" Joey wrinkled his nose.

"You mean _before_ we're dead?" Ryou pulled a similar face. He was one for some light reading, but that was _light_. This book was definitely _not._

"Oh! Oh!" Duke's eyes lit up, "I've read this thing, like, six times already! There's this one dragon that spews boiling water onto its victims, basically cooking them alive!"

Ryou and Joey stared at him.

"I _was_ gonna read that, but now…"Joey shot him a cocky grin before getting up and racing through the front doors. His blonde hair was almost immediately soaked, but he didn't care. He was going home to a house without his dad!

So many things to do!

"Hey! Joey wait up!" Duke called after him, leaving his dishes behind as he tried to catch up. Setting his down next to the last teen, Yugi fidgeted before speaking.

"So, we could share-?"

"Already read it." Ryou stated, pushing it away. Of course, he hadn't, but the smallest teen didn't need to know that. Before the youngest could protest, the albino had gotten up and taken off, desperate to get away from Yugi.

Sighing, Yugi looked down at the book dismally, "Great, all to myself then."

Sitting down heavily, he picked at his food, a small chicken leg roasted in spices and fire-smoke. What was wrong with him? Why didn't the other teens like him? Was he weird? Strange? Or was it because he never seemed to do anything right? Would the island be better off without him?

Shaking his head, the teen tried to clear his dark thoughts before they consumed him. Against his better judgment, his eyes travelled over to the leather-bound book. Unable to help himself, he let his fingers trail over the thin parchment edges before lifting the cover.

"Speed Class, Strike Class…" he muttered to himself as he read through the table of contents. "Special class?"

Flipping to the designated section, he carefully looked over the first page. "Scauldron, sprays scalding water at its enemies, extremely dangerous, kill on sight."

Inhaling at the warning, Yugi quickly flipped the next page. "Thunder Drum, produces a concussive sound that is lethal at close range. Extremely dangerous, kill on sight."

Swallowing thickly, the teen flipped to the next dragon. "Timberjack. This dragon's sharp wings can slice through whole forests in seconds. Extremely dangerous, kill on sight."

Feeling dread filling his stomach, Yugi began to skim the pages instead of trying to fully read them. "Terrible Terror, Bone Knapper, Whispering Death."

His fingers moved faster as the feeling of dread flooded his body. "Buries its victims, boils its victims, turns its victims inside out."

His eyes grew wide as he saw the same warning on each and every page, "Extremely dangerous, extremely dangerous-" he jumped when the main doors slammed together from the wind, "extremely dangerous…"

These dragons… they were the ones that attack their island! Every single one of them was dangerous! How could it be that every dragon that was considered harmful had found its way to domino!?

"Nightfury." He gasped as he turned to a blank page. "Shot limit: unknown, Speed: unknown. The unholy offspring of lightning and death itself. If you are to ever encounter this dragon, hide. Hide and pray that it does not _find you_…"

Sitting back, Yugi realized with a start that his breathing was rapid, as if he'd just run all the way around the island. To think that off all of the 'extremely dangerous' dragons he had to encounter and try to befriend, it was the Nightfury. But then again…

Yami didn't seem too intimidating. Maybe the book was wrong?

"No." Yugi murmured to himself. "The book is never wrong. It was written long ago as a guide to keep us alive. But then why…"

He rested his head in his hands. "Why do I feel so conflicted?"

o0O0o

A fleet of ships pulled to a halt right outside of a thick veil of fog. The mist was strange in the fact that it did not roll evenly across the expanse of waters, but reared up like an intimidating wall, daring those brave enough to pass through and meet their doom.

"We have arrived." Solomon said to himself before turning to address his crew. "We will find the nest and we will drive the dragons out!"

"Huzzah!" the Vikings called.

"Forward!" Solomon ordered with a raised hand. At his call, the boats moved silently through the waters, his at the lead. If anyone were to meet a fateful death, it would be him.

He was the chief and captain after all.

As the ships disappeared into the thick fog, silence reigned for several minutes. Suddenly, the sky lit up with fire as an ear-piercing screech filled the air. The shadow of a dragon outlined itself in the fog for the briefest second before fading out of existence.

O0O0o

"Hey, Malik." Yugi started, looking up at the blonde as he gripped his shield and sword closer to his body. "I read through the dragon fighting manual last night, but I noticed that there wasn't much on Nightfuries. There doesn't happen to be another book on them, right? Or a pamphlet or somethi-WHOA!"

He was interrupted when a ball of fire smashed into the wall at his side. So close to hitting him, so _very_ close…

"Watch it, Yugi!" Malik called from his place outside the ring. "Today's lesson is about attack."

With a bored expression, the platinum blonde watched the bi-ped blue lizard run after the teens through a maze he had constructed himself. The Deadly Nadder hardly obeyed the rules of a normal maze, jumping on top of the walls and busting through dead ends. Honestly, did it have no sense of the words '_fair play_'?

"The Deadly Nadder is fast on its feet. Very hard to get close to." He yelled down to the panicking teens. "Find its blind spot. Every dragon has one. Find it, hide in it and strike when the time is right!"

As soon as he said that, Ryou and Duke somehow ended up right in front of the Nadder's nose. Strangely enough, the dragon paused, like it knew it had seen them but couldn't anymore. Realization dawning, the two danced from side to side as the Nadder tried to turn its head to see them.

"Ugh, you smell!" Duke commented with a wrinkled nose. "Do you ever bathe?!"

"You don't like the smell?" Ryou growled, offended (cause he smelled like roses thank-you-very-much), "Then go find your own blind spot!"

Angered, Duke yanked on the albino's hair, causing the teen to let out a yelp and turn on the raven. Right then, the Nadder turned its head to the side, staring them down with one large blue eye before firing a blast at the two of them.

With a cry, the two teens hit the floor, dropping their weapons as they did.

"Blind spot, yes." Malik commented, "_Deaf_ spot, eh, not so much."

"So how would one sneak _up_ on a Nightfury, do you think?" Yugi tried again now that he was away from the Nadder.

"No one's ever seen a Nightfury and lived to tell the tale." Malik said matter-of-factly. "Now get in there!"

"Yug'!" a rough whisper called. Turning, Yugi spied Joey and Duke hiding behind a column of wood. Apparently while he had been distracted, Ryou had been taken out and was now sitting on the sidelines.

Falling into line behind the other two, Yugi waited until Joey signaled for them to move. The blonde crouched, and then rolled to the next safety point, the raven quickly following. However, when it came time for Yugi to try, he only made it half-way through before his shield fell flat against the ground, taking him with it.

"Ugh." The two other teen's face-palmed before going in to help their chief's grandson.

As the Deadly Nadder hissed, Yugi quickly scrambled to his feet, taking the distraction of the other two teens to find himself a hiding place. Raising his ax to make a fatal swing, Joey was pushed out of the way by Duke who held a club above his head.

"I got this!" so saying, the raven heaved the club at the dragon, making it collide solidly with the reptile's thick scull…and bounce off harmlessly to the side. The blonde gave him an 'are you serious?' look.

"The sun was in my eyes!" Duke hurriedly defended in a very gay manner. "What do you want me to do? Turn off the sun? I can do that, you know!"

"No, jest- whoa-oh…" Joey cursed under his breath before dragging Duke after him as the angered Nadder gave chase.

"Has anyone ever heard of a Nightfury napping? Or-?"Yugi was interrupted yet again with a yell of "YUGI!"

"Huh? Ah!" Yugi screamed as he saw the Deadly Nadder coming right for him. Running after the other teens, he flinched whenever one of the wooden barricades fell behind him and a blast of fire nearly licked up his backside.

Those shots were _way_ too close for comfort.

Finally, the dragon caught up to them, making the rest of the maze walls come crashing down around them. Duke ended up separated from Joey and Yugi, but the other two… well…

"Ooh…" Duke sang, "_Love_ on the _battle_field."

"He can do better." Ryou muttered to Malik as he watched from above with a similar bored expression.

"Wha-? Ah!" Joey made a disgusted sound as he pulled himself off of Yugi's smaller body. It was only then that he realized his ax was buried deep in the other's shield and a Deadly Nadder was gazing at them both with hungry, vengeful eyes.

"Give it back." Joey demanded, trying to yank his ax free. He did not live for seventeen years with a drunk as a father only to die as dragon food! "Give it back right now!"

"Ow- wait! Wait a min-ow!" Yugi whined, "Just let me-!"

The shield slipped from his hand. In one move, the blonde whirled around and slammed the ax into the dragon's skull, clubbing it with the shield and breaking the wood to splinters.

"Excellent job, Joseph!" Malik called as he opened the iron doors to get the Deadly Nadder back into its cage. With the Gronkle, it had been easy. That one was still conscious.

How was he supposed to get a two ton dead weight back into a cage half-way across and arena that looked like it went through a war?

"What were y'_thinkin'_!?" Joey demanded, turning on the smallest teen. Fear spiking in his stomach, Yugi cowered back, flinching as if to be hit. "Do you think dis is some kinda _game_? Is dat what you think it is?!"

Backing up, the small teen couldn't tear his eyes away from enraged gold as the oldest teen bore down on him. "Because dis ain't no game! Our parents' war is 'bout t'become ours. Choose which side yer on."

Hateful, spurned words spoken, Joey left the arena with his ax still in hand. Hoping to burn off some steam, he disappeared into the higher lands where there were fewer trees and less people around. Glaring at the small teen, Duke and Ryou followed after him, quickly leaving Yugi alone to think about what he'd done.

They should know by now not to leave him alone. Bad things happened when he was alone.

o0O0o

Phantomworks: Ta-dah!

**Alice: very nice. Now work on the next one.**

Phantomworks; what, no thanks?

**Alice; I said very nice.**

Phantomworks: (sigh) Please review and don't forget to vote on the poll on my profile.


	8. Chapter 8

Phantomworks: Sorry this took so long! I had graduation, open houses and lots of other stuff to take care of.

**Alice; excuses.**

Phantomworks; I don't own Yugioh or its characters, only this fanfic.

Chapter 8

"I'll show them." Yugi muttered as he tramped through the forest, dragging his newest creation behind him. To anyone else, it would look like a tangle of leather and iron, but to him, it was the culmination of the last night's work, a full eight-hours of toil and slaving over the iron stove.

Now, he was going to put it to use.

"I'll show them all!" he swore to himself, kicking a pebble out of the way needlessly. He continued on, dragging his contraption behind him as he lugged a basket full of fish towards the clearing that he was quickly becoming familiar with.

Squeezing through the small passage, he waltzed into the middle of the clearing and called out, looking for his dragon. "Yami! Come out wherever you are! I've got food for you!"

Bright red eyes watched him curiously. Yami was happy that the human had returned, but it was strange. He didn't sense any weapon on the human, couldn't see any glint of metal besides the iron wreckage that the human towed behind him. That hardly looked sharp enough to kill a mouse, let alone Yami himself.

When he heard his name called, the dragon perked up, crawling over the stones that he had been hiding behind and loping over to the human. Surprising the human to no end.

"Yami?" Yugi asked, turning at the sound of footsteps. Two-legged footsteps. Turning, Yugi caught sight of a man limping/running through the clearing.

A _naked_ man limping/running through the clearing.

"Holy-?!" Yugi cut off when the man reached his side. He hurried to take a step back, but the man followed him, circling him curiously, almost playfully. "Wh-who are you?! How did you get in here?! _Why aren't you wearing any clothes?!_"

_**He's talking! Talking?**_

Yugi paused, hearing the faint noise of words. Yet they didn't seem loud enough to be spoken aloud, especially right next to him. So where did…?

_**What do- talk back!**_

The teen blinked. Was it coming from the man?

… H_**ow do I talk again…?**_

"Is that…?" Yugi blinked, looking at the man more thoroughly. Soft looking skin has been tanned from many days under the sun and a thick mane of raven hair sprouts from the man's head. Wild blonde bangs jut out in every direction, some straight up, others hanging down to frame the man's face.

A face with a small nose, thin mouth, and sharp, crimson eyes.

"…Yami?" Yugi asked, unsure.

_**Yami! Me! Me!**_

Crimson eyes brightened as the man smiled.

Yugi just stared, because there is no possible way that this man could be the Nightfury that Yugi had become accustomed to. There was no way, even with the matching eyes and dark hair, that a dragon could _ever_ turn into a man or vice versa.

The man whined, wobbling where he stood and falling backwards, as if on new feet.

"Shoot!" Yugi muttered, reaching out to steady the man. Instead, both ended up falling to the ground, the teen losing his basket and his night's work along the way. "Ow!"

Opening his eyes (when had he closed them?),Yugi found himself laying on top of the man, face on his chest. Cheeks heating in embarrassment, Yugi hurriedly scrambled to the side, getting off of the strange creature. In his scramble, he jostled the other, making the man let out a cry of pain.

"S-Sorry!" Yugi exclaimed immediately, looking for where he'd hurt the man. Despite the burn in his cheeks, his eyes traced down the other's figure, skipping over his groin and traveling down tan legs. When amethyst eyes came to a bruised ankle, Yugi hissed. "D-did I do that?"

Reaching forward, he let his fingers ghost over the purple skin. Just as quickly, the man pulled away, hissing in pain.

"Hey! Stay still!" Yugi ordered, crawling after the retreating male. "You'll hurt yourself more!"

Finally, he managed to wrestle the man down long enough for him to examine the other's ankle. Looking it over with an expert eye, he decided, "It definitely wasn't from me. It'd take _weeks_ to gain this much bruising. Looks broken too. It's a wonder you can still _walk_!"

_**Off! Off! Off!**_

The man squirmed beneath him, trying to buck the other off. Startled by the unspoken words, Yugi let the other go, snapping his hands to his side as the other hid behind a boulder.

"I heard you." Yugi stated. "In my head… this can't be happening!"

Getting up to his feet, he started pacing. "First, I get the stupid idea to stay up all night just to show those guys that I can actually _do_ something, only to have a pile of metal and leather to show for it! Then I come down here and instead of finding a Nightfury, I find a naked man! And now what? I'm hearing voices?!"

He threw up his hands in exasperation, "Anything else I should know?!"

Red eyes stared at him in bemusement. Then a stomach growled. Yugi sent the other a leveled glare. "Of course, you're hungry."

Sighing loudly, Yugi dragged the basket over and kicked it over by… Yami. Dozens of freshly caught fish spilled out, making the man drool instantly.

"Since you're hungry, you might as well eat." The teen said. "There's a whole grilled eel in there too."

At that, the man retreated from the pile, hissing angrily at it.

"What? Don't like eel?" Yugi picked up the animal by the tail. The reaction was immediate. Yami let out a disgusted squeal and hid behind the boulder again, glaring at the offending morsel. "Okay, okay. I get it! No eel."

Throwing it off to the side, Yugi watched the man dive into the pile of fish, devouring them ravenously. "At least you still have the _appetite_ of a dragon."

Shaking his head, Yugi turned away. "I'll see if I can create a make-shift brace for your ankle… and find you some clothes."

Turning to his creation, he knew nothing there would work for a brace. Instead, he looked around the clearing, trying to find something that would work to keep the man's ankle steady in order to heal. When nothing turned up, he sighed and made his way back to…Yami.

"Well, it looks like I'll have to go and…" the teen stopped dead in his tracks. Where the man had once been sitting now sat Yami the Nightfury in the flesh. "How did you… but he… but I…"

He growled in frustration. "Just forget it."

Picking up his creation, he dragged it to Yami's tail. Crimson eyes watched him curiously, yet when the human started to get close to his injured tail, he hissed.

"Sh, sh…" Yugi reassured the dragon. "It'll help, I promise. If nothing else, it'll keep your tail from getting even more injured."

The Nightfury's tail, something that had worried Yugi from the start. It was broken in several places, the fragile bones and cartilage badly misplaced. If it was allowed to heal like that, Yami would never be able to fly again.

"Okay," Yugi said, more to himself than the dragon. "This may hurt a bit, but please bear with me…"

Sliding the leather contraption parallel to the long tail, Yugi started to tie the straps down, only for the tail to flutter away. Scooting after it, Yugi tried again and again, the tail retreated. Growing frustrated, Yugi looked up, only to find amused crimson staring at him as the tail danced just out of reach.

Pouting, Yugi got up and sat down on the other's tail, restraining it with his body. It jerked underneath him and he nearly went head first into the wall, but managed to keep his balance and quickly strap the leather and metal creation onto the Nightfury's tail.

In the process, he replaced the bones in the tailfin to be folded up along the end of the tail. By strapping his creation on, he hoped to keep the bones from moving so that they could heal more easily.

Kind of like a functional dragon cast.

Spreading out his creation, he looked at both the natural tail fin and his own designed one. They were about the same size and looked identical aside from color. Though his own was heavier, it was also more durable and could take a bang up or two.

"There." He said, getting up, "What do you think?"

Crimson eyes blinked, twitching his tail experimentally. It was heavier than before, but the pain that usually accompanied movement had been removed. And… what was this?

His tail was fixed?!

He didn't care what kind of magic the human had performed or of any side effects or consequences. No, all he cared about was that he had his tail and could finally _get out of this hell hole!_

Jumping to his feet, he stretched his wings high above his head. Wiggling his tail again, he took a running head start and leapt into the air, powerful wings beating downwards and lifting his body into the air. He banked sharply left to avoid running into the rock wall, then angled upwards. He was about to breach the rocky rim of the cistern when he felt a weight pull him down.

His tail wouldn't move.

Instead of up, he arched over and ended up in a straight dive down, diving head first into the lake. Crashing into the water, he struggled to keep from inhaling as he swam to the surface. Head breaching the water, he coughed before kicking over to the shore.

Dragging himself out of the water on shaky legs, he pulled himself free before collapsing onto the ground. Closing his eyes, he heard the human rush over. Exhausted as he was, he didn't quite care that the human was as close as he was.

"I don't understand what happened!" Yugi cried. "It should have worked! Why didn't it work? What went wrong?!"

_**Tail… no move…**_

"The tail?" keeping a hand on Yami's body, Yugi made his way down to the tail. Examining both fins, he realized what the problem was.

Even though the man-made fin was identical to the natural one, it wasn't connected by muscles and nerves. It didn't _act_ like it was supposed to.

"How do I fix something like that?" Yugi wondered aloud, shifting it with his hands. He could move it easily enough, but Yami wouldn't be able to mid-flight. It was like Yami needed another set of hands to help him fly.

To help him fly…

"Oh no…" Yugi groaned. "You can't be serious."

Crimson eyes peered back at him, innocently. Oh yes. Yugi Mutou, grandson of the chief of dragon hunters, was going to have to _ride_ a dragon.

o0O0o

Phantomworks: yay. Finished!

**Alice: will it take you another three weeks to update again?**

Phantomworks: maybe? Also, this is your LAST chance to vote on my profile poll. Next week, it will be closed.


	9. Chapter 9

_Phantomworks: I'm trying to change the story up a bit, but it's slow going._

_**Alice: you're just getting tired of dragons.**_

_Phantomworks: maybe. I'm glad to work with cats in the next fic._

_**Alice: cats?**_

_Phantomworks: I don't own Yugioh or its characters, only this fanfic._

_Chapter 9_

_Leather or cotton? Leather or cotton?_ Bright amethyst eyes shot between the two pieces of fabric, trying to figure out which one to buy. _I know I need leather for the saddle and harness, but I don't know when I'll get to use those._

Switching his gaze to the cotton, he paused. _However, Yami needs some clothes if he's going to go prancing around as a human. A cloak, vest, socks, shoes… at the very least, he'll need a shirt and pair of pants. Walking around nude is not an option._

His eyes trailed back to the plush, black leather. _On the other hand, I think he'll look _great_ in leather…_

Torn with indecision, Yugi didn't notice the teen sneaking up on him until it was too late.

"YUGI!" Malik yelled, making the teen scream and jump ten feet into the air. Whipping around, the smaller teen glared cutely as the blonde doubled over in laughter.

"Don't _do_ that!" Yugi hissed, putting the two fabrics down. His heart beat loudly in his ears as he tried to calm down from his shock. "Stop laughing at me!"

"Sorry, sorry, it's just… _your face_!" remembering only sent Malik into hysterics again.

Rolling his eyes, the chief's grandson turned away with a growl. Examining other materials, he wondered aloud, "Did you just come here to make fun of me, or was there another reason for your visit?"

Falling silent, Malik thought for a moment. Then his face brightened. "Oh yeah! Training starts in ten minutes. I came to get you."

"I'm not going." Yugi said, keeping his attention focused on the merchant wares. Maybe a little _too_ focused.

"What are you talking about? Of course you're going!" Malik stated, confused.

"No, I'm not." Yugi persisted. "I'm no good at Dragon Hunting and you know it. I'm just saving everyone the trouble of having to save my butt."

"Not that they would." Malik said off-handedly, earning him a glare from the petite teen. "Yugi, it's not always those who are the best that become the stuff of legends. I once heard that 'those who are big grow little, while those who are little, have much room to grow.'"

"Oh yeah?" Yugi turned, lifting an eyebrow. "And where did you hear _that_ from?"

"I don't know, some old guy who's in a grave now." Malik shrugged. "The point is, you're going to practice, even if I have to drag you there!"

Letting out a groan, Yugi just about gave in when an idea struck him. "Fine, I'll go, but I want to grab something first."

"What?" Malik inquired.

"Something for lunch." Yugi smirked as he headed over to the roasted eels. Maybe having Yami around wouldn't be such a bad thing after all.

O0O0o

"Today, you will be fighting the Hideous Zippleback." Malik commented from above as he lifted the wooden lever. Immediately, the doors flew open, but instead of a raging beast, only green smoke billowed across the arena. "Remember, the Zippleback has two heads, one for laying a lead for a fire, and one for igniting it."

As the emerald fog filled the area, the four teens huddled into groups of two, keeping someone at least _somewhat_ friendly at their backs.

"Your job is to put out the fire head before it puts out you. However, you only have one shot! Choose wrong and its curtains for you." Not that he would really let them die, maybe a little burnt or maimed, but not die.

Yugi and Duke had somehow paired up and both were clutching their buckets of water like life-lines. So locked into his concentration, Yugi was careful to keep absolutely quiet, knowing even the littlest sound could attract unwanted attention.

Which is why he couldn't understand Duke's need to ramble.

"I've heard that the Hideous Zippleback has sharp fangs and venom." The raven's voice shook, his eyes darting around the fog. "When they bite, their venom is injected, seeping into their prey's flesh and slowly melting it right off of their-!"

"Would you be _quiet_?!" Yugi hissed, his face turning green. He didn't need to know the effects of the poison that the dragon they were facing contained. At his request, Duke promptly shut up, though not without a scared whimper.

How the teen thought he could be a Dragon Hunter when he was more scared than _Yugi_, the smaller didn't know.

"There!" Duke whispered, jabbing a finger at a couple of shadows. "Yugi, there they are!"

"You take the one on the left; I'll take the one on the right." Yugi said, sliding around Duke's side to face the dragon. "Ready? One, two-!"

_Splash!_

Yugi scowled, "I didn't say three!"

"HEY!" another voice shouted as two figures came out of the fog. One was Joey, with an irritated look on his face while the other was a soaking wet Ryou who was down-right glaring. None of the teens noticed two pairs of bright serpentine eyes watching them from the thickest cloud of fog.

"Which one of you did that?" he seethed. Yugi looked to Duke's empty bucket.

"Hey, it wasn't my fault!" Duke protested hotly, losing the 'scared' look he'd had only seconds ago. "We mistook you for the dragon! You must've gained weight."

With an outraged cry, Ryou took his bucket and dumped the entire thing over Duke's head. When the raven-haired teen flinched, the albino smacked him in stomach with his bucket, and then kicked him in the groin for good measure. While his friend was on the ground, he kicked him again, just because he could.

_No one_ calls Ryou fat and gets away with it.

Cackling with amusement, the two dragon heads made themselves known by striking forward and dragging the unfortunate Duke back into the smoke. At the sight, Ryou froze, then about-turned and ran. Without any water, he was dead-meat as it was. Bowing out now was the only thing he could do.

"Ah!" Duke cried out as the Zippleback bit into his leg. Just as quickly, he was let go, but the 'damage' had been done. Getting to his feet, he ran to the exit, yelling, "Ah! I'm hurt! I am _very much_ _hurt!_"

As they were the only two left, Yugi and Joey were forced to cover each other's back. Yugi wondered, angrily, why it was always him and Joey left. Why couldn't it be him and Ryou or him and Duke, or better yet, _Joey_ and Ryou or _Joey_ and Duke?

How was it that the one least likely to survive always made it to the final two?

Once again, the two headed dragon made its appearance, its twin heads hovering above the two teens, daring them to make a move. Gauging the two heads and the distance between them, Joey made an executive decision and splashed water all over the one nearest him. Shaking the water off, his head merely glared at him, hissing as green smoke fell from its lips.

"Joey, you're out." Malik called lazily from above. Gritting his teeth, Joey slowly backed away from the dragon before running to the exit. He knew when it was time to fight and time to retreat. Now, it was all up to Yugi.

If this had been real-life, they would all be dead.

Now left alone, Yugi clutched the bucket ever closer to him. The dragon hadn't seemed so scary when Joey had been here. He even knew which head was the right one now!

So why was he frozen with fear?

The dry head clicked its tongue, sparks starting to fly. Just one spark had to get close enough to the green gas and the whole arena would go up in flames.

"Yugi, throw it!" Malik shouted, fear flashing through him. Even if he ran, he might not be able to make it to Yugi in time. The chief's grandson was on his own.

Hearing the command, Yugi snapped out of his trance and hefted the bucket upwards, throwing the water it contained into the air… only to have it fall back down pathetically. Curse his strength! … And his shortness!

The two-headed dragon looked between him and the water, almost pityingly. Hissing, the two heads reared back, prepared to strike. Lifting his hands above his head, Yugi deftly reached into his vest and pulled out his secret weapon.

Far above, the teens and their mentor searched the thick mist for any sign of their teammate. Fire hadn't erupted, so he had managed to get the head somehow, right? So why wasn't he cheering or yelling or _something_?!

"No, Yugi…" Malik breathed, unable to think of the possibility that he'd not only killed the chief's grandson, but also lost his _first_ student, his first casualty in the training hall. An air of tension and sorrow fell on the teens.

Suddenly, the green gas started to clear, showing Yugi and the dragon in a sort of standoff. The small teen was posed to strike with his hands as the green, twin-headed dragon back-pedaled, trying to get away from the teen.

"Back!" Yugi yelled, moving as the dragon did and keeping his empty hands out in front of him. "Back I say!"

The Zippleback squealed in horror as it frantically tried to get away from the seemingly innocent teen. Without knowing, it was herded back to its cage, the devious human baring its only escape.

"Good, now stay there…" Yugi paused, looking over his shoulder at all of the other teens. A thrill of joy surged through him at their slack-jawed gazes. Smirking to himself, he secretly pulled the roasted eel from underneath his vest and threw it into the dragon's cage. "And think about what you've done."

The dragon hissed, scooting as far into the corner as it could to get away from the atrocious fish-thing, going so far as to climb part of the wall. Closing the doors took a bit of effort, but Yugi managed to do so and the lever keeping the doors locked fell back into place. Dusting off his hands, he turned to leave, only to come face-to-face with the rest of his 'team'.

"So…" he began slowly, starting to get creeped out by the others' stares. "Are we done? Cause I kind of have to… yeah…"

With that, he ducked his head and left in a hurry. Those stares were really freaking him out! It wasn't like he'd done something cool, only saved his own skin. Besides, it was Malik's fault for making him go to practice today anyways!

Mind cleared of all guilt; he started back in the direction of the marketplace, finally coming to an answer to his dilemma. _I'll get leather for the harness, saddle and clothes and then make a cloak out of cotton. _

_Yami will love it!_

o0O0o

Phantomworks: okay, I'm good now.

**Alice:… all we saw was a fight scene.**

Phantomworks: yeah, I forgot what came next in the story… I want to watch a movie.

**Alice: ugh. (facepalms)**

Phantomworks; thanks for reading and please review!


	10. Chapter 10

Phantomworks: hey! I'm close!

**Alice: two weeks.**

Phantomworks; can't help a Queen pagent.

**Alice: yes you can.**

Phantomworks: nope. I don't own Yugioh or its characters, only this fanfic.

Chapter 10

It had taken him all night long, but Yugi had finished the single outfit made of leather for Yami, only to have the dragon disregard it completely.

"YAMI!" Yugi shouted, "You can't go running around without clothes on!"

Red eyes turned to him as their owner cocked his head to the side curiously.

"If you look like a human, you have to _dress_ like one!" Yugi tried to explain to the shape-shifting dragon. "Not only is nudity considered rude, but it's also illegal! Especially among the Vikings!"

The humanoid dragon just stared at him, blinking occasionally. Pointing to the pile of clothes that he had made, Yugi ordered, "Put them on."

Gaze shifting from the clothes to Yugi and back, Yami started forward, his bruised ankle held straight by a brace that Yugi had constructed with sticks and some left-over cotton material. Squatting beside the pile of fabrics, the man pointed to the clothes, then to Yugi.

_**You…?**_

"No, I'm already wearing clothes." Yugi gestured to himself. "Those are for you."

_**Me…**_

Yami's nose wrinkled up at the thought of having to wear them. They looked like they would act more like restraints than coverings. Why did humans have to be so weird? Pointing to the materials, then to himself, Yami double-checked the purpose of the clothing.

Nodding, Yugi crossed his arms, "Yes Yami. They're for you. Cover up from head to toe."

Frowning in a way that looked more like a pout, the male looked back at the pile, sifting through it with an obvious lack of excitement.

_**Head to toe… head to toe…**_

How did one even put these on? Two pieces had three holes of varying sizes in them, while another had _four. _What was the purpose of clothing anyway? Why cover up when he was just going to change into a dragon again?

Finally, he found something that made him brighten considerably.

Pulling a long, single piece of cloth from the pile, he held it up, admiring the way it looked in the light. Finding a clasp, it took a few tries to unclip it before he gave up and simply threw the single fabric over his head, letting it rest on his shoulders and cover the rest of his body from view.

Turning, he gave the human a big grin, showing off his work.

Yugi stared before face-palming. "_Yami_, when I said to cover up from head to toe, I didn't mean to _only wear the cloak!_"

Uh-oh, the human didn't sound all too happy.

Cocking his head to the side, Yami gave himself another once-over before deeming the human's opinion as fallible. In his mind, Yami looked _awesome_, especially for never having worn human clothing. With that, he started to walk away.

_**Good enough…**_

"Yami, it is not 'good enough'! You can't just walk around naked under a –hey! Where are you going?" Yugi turned when the dragon skittered off, trying to avoid any more clothes. "Get back here!"

The two soon fell into a game of chase where Yami gracefully leapt from rock to rock, ignoring the pain in his ankle, and Yugi tripped every three feet or so. Whenever the smaller fell, the taller would pause, looking back with innocent eyes and chuckling under his breath. This only riled Yugi more and soon had the two engaged in the game once again.

Finally, after what seemed like hours, Yugi grasped the end of Yami's cloak, pulling the man to a stop. "Enough, Yami! You can't run around in just a cloak!"

_**Did…**_

"I don't care if you _did_ just now, what I'm saying is that real humans don't!" Yugi huffed. "And if we want to get you to a healer of some sort in the village, you can't go walking around naked, dragon or otherwise! Now come on, we'll get your other garments one you."

Finding himself being dragged backwards by the hold on his cape, Yami frowned before transforming back into his dragon form. It turns out that the opening in the cloak was just big enough to fit around his reptilian throat. When he felt the weight he was dragging shift, Yugi was forced to stop, unable to make a stubborn 500-pound reptile budge.

Eventually, Yugi threw his hands up in defeat. "Fine! Wear the cloak! Don't come crying to me when you get chased by an angry mob!"

Grumbling to himself, Yugi stomped over to the other pile of stuff he'd brought with him as well as Yami's flying brace. The Nightfury's tail was still in no shape to fly, but that was okay. As soon as the appendage healed, Yugi knew that the midnight black dragon would take off and never be seen again.

So he better make use of the time he had left.

"Since you're done playing human," Yugi stooped over his other prize. "It's my turn to play dragon."

Holding up a long, thin saddle, Yugi watched as the dragon gave it a curious look. It was made entirely of leather and was rather crude for a first try, but he was sure that he could fix any kinks that made themselves known. As long as he got it onto the dragon to try it out.

"All right, Yami." Yugi stood a little straighter. "It's time to fly."

The dragon stared at him.

o0O0o

Apparently Yami had the attention span of a three year old because as soon as Yugi tried to put the saddle on him, it had turned into another game of chase, with the dragon easily keeping the lead. Just when he thought he was in the clear, he'd forgotten to put on the flying brace. Once again, he had to chase the reptile down in order to strap it on.

In one afternoon, Yugi had gotten more exercise than during a dragon attack!

"Ugh, finally!" Yugi groaned to himself, checking to make sure all of the straps were tied correctly and that nothing would hurt Yami. "If you had just stayed still, we could be flying already!"

The dragon gave him a bored look.

"Don't give me that look!" Yugi grumbled. "It's your fault."

The dragon had the nerve to roll its eyes at him.

"Why you bratty-!" Yugi sighed. "Never mind."

Putting his left foot in the strange stir-up looking device he'd made, he slung his right foot over, sliding it into the identical stir-up. Making himself comfortable, Yugi couldn't help but notice how similar this was to riding a horse.

Of course, he'd only done that once, but how hard could it be?

Checking the mobility of the brace with a line of string in his hand, he nodded to himself. They were ready. Turning his attention onto Yami, he patted the Nightfury's neck. "Okay, Yami. Ready for takeoff."

Huffing out a puff of smoke, the black reptile rolled his shoulders, getting used to the feel of weight on his back. There wasn't much as the human weighed almost nothing compared to him, but just the sensation of it was making him feel off.

_**Dragons weren't meant to be ridden**_. He decided.

"I can hear you!" Yugi called from above, earning him another eye roll. Snapping his wings out, Yami flexed them, getting them ready for the first flight he'd had in a long time. At the same time, he prepared himself for this whole thing to fail.

After all, it did last time, didn't it?

Taking a couple loping leaps forward; he pushed his wings down hard, slowly gaining altitude. At the point where he would normally fall, he felt a tug on his tail, the fake fin stretching out in a different direction. In response, his body curved to the right, gaining more altitude until he was finally, blissfully over the edge of the precipice.

Red eyes widened in shock.

_**How…?**_

"Whoo-hoo!" the human's loud cry of delight rang in his ears, startling him a bit. The dragon had almost completely forgotten about the boy on his back. Was this the work of the human?

"Now let's see…" the human gripped onto one of his spine scales, looking back as he thought. "Try to the left!"

Another yank sent them spiraling to the ground. Both let out their version of a scream, Yugi pulling frantically on the thick string as Yami's legs kicked out in all directions, as if to stop their descent. Suddenly, one well placed tug had them evening out, then going in a straight up arc.

Yugi's grip on both the dragon and the string tightened as he tried to level them out again. Finally, he got it right and they curved out of their ascent, evening out as they slowly circled downwards.

Round and round they went until they were just over the cistern that Yami had been trapped in for the past week or so. The dragon felt his heart drop a bit at the thought of returning, but now that he knew he could get out, he was a little happier.

All he had to do was take the human with him.

"Gently, gently…" Yugi chanted to himself, trying to time the direction of the fake fin with Yami's circling. "And… down."

The last foot or so was a sudden drop, but only ended in Yami stumbling and Yugi tumbling off the back of the dragon to land face first in mud. At least, he hoped it was mud.

Sitting up, he wiped off his face, grinning brightly at the rumpled looking dragon. "That was… AWESOME!"

Startled, Yami gave a little huff, even as he preened under the human's compliments.

"With the wind and the height and the –wow…" Yugi leaned back on his hands. "Is that what it's like for you _every_ day?"

Dark burgundy eyes blinked at him slowly before lifting a black tail, brace still fixed around the end.

"Oh… right." Yugi stared at it, remembering that he was the reason that this beautiful creature was grounded. "Well, I'll get to work on a better pulley system and probably a harness. Then do you think… maybe… we could go out flying tomorrow?"

Bright eyes blinked, thinking over the human's offer. While Yami disliked the feeling of a human on his back, he couldn't afford to allow his muscles to get weak. Sitting around here for the past week had already taken its toll. The latest flight had tired him out, and it had only lasted an hour!

Deciding that he could put up with the human's help in order to keep up his strength, and escape the cistern for a while, he slowly nodded his head, making the human's face light up.

_**Yes…**_

o0O0o

Phantomworks: and there you go.

**Alice: next is a montage, right?**

Phantomworks: yeah, except I don't know how to do that, so I'm going to have to improvise… a lot.

**Alice: fun-zies!**


	11. Chapter 11

Phantomworks: yay! Progress!

**Alice; now let's see how you did on your montage.**

Phantomworks; I didn't. I don't own Yugioh or its characters, only this fanfic.

Chapter 11

Over the course of the next week or so, Yugi spent most of his time with Yami, perfecting his riding gear and learning more about dragons than he ever expected. Who knew that there was so much that the Vikings didn't know? Even with their Dragon Manual with everything written about every possible dragon known?

While out on one ride, Yugi had found out first hand that there was a certain type of grass that dragons adored. He had been testing out a harness and a foot-powered tail moving system when the Nightfury had dove out of the sky. At first, the human had screamed and braced for impact.

However, they rolled when they landed and he somehow ended up on his feet, stumbling through tall, thin green grass. Looking back, Yugi could only stare in shock as Yami rolled around in the soft vegetation, his tongue lolling out like a dog while he purred like a cat. Picking up a handful, Yugi couldn't help but stare at it in wonder, likening it to catnip for dragons.

Dragon-nip?

Whatever it was, it garnered the same reaction from a Gronkle the next day in the ring.

Another time, Yugi had been giving Yami a good scrub down after a long day's flight. Apparently, the dragon loved having his scales scratched behind his ear-like appendages and right above his wings. Yet there was one place right under the black reptile's chin that, with one scratch, had the beast flat on his stomach in euphoria.

Once again, it had similar results to a Nadder in the ring. Joey hadn't been happy with that.

Along with these other discoveries, Yugi found that it wasn't all metal objects that dragons despised, only the sharp ones. His hammer had found its way into the cove that housed the dragon when he'd been working on some new designs for a flight suit. When the sun glinted off his metal hammer at just the right angle, it created a little spot of light on the ground.

At the sight, Yami's eyes had widened with anticipation. Crouching low, the dragon had snuck forward until he was only a foot away, and then leapt onto the light. Only for it to disappear! Yugi could barely contain his mirth as the dragon chased the little light around the cistern with the same amount of excitement of a playful kitten.

He was beginning to think that dragons were more like cats than humans first thought.

In only a week, he'd learned more about dragons than he had in a life-time with his father as a teacher. He'd also learned more about flying. He even had a cheat-sheet now for the positions of the tail! That had been hard in and of itself to make.

One snapped rope had led to a night escapade back to the village with Yami in tow. Yugi had to sneak the dragon into the blacksmith shop to fix the bent metal, carrying the reptile's cloak just in case he had to change. Joey had ended up catching them and it was only through quick reflexes that Yami had appeared human enough to not arouse suspicion.

The blonde had only just bought it and Yugi's lame excuse for the saddle and the two had managed to sneak back out. That was an episode that Yugi would rather not repeat. With his quickly growing skills, he didn't need to. Unfortunately, his new knowledge had other consequences…

When he brought the new techniques into the arena, his friends had been astonished. It's like they hadn't been all along, starting with that Zippleback incident, but really? Their hero-worship of him was starting to get creepy!

It wasn't only them, either! It was everyone in the village! Where before he sat at a table alone, now he sat down and a crowd flocked to his side. More than once, he'd been asked to share advice with senior Vikings. _Senior _Vikings! As in those with _years_ of experience! When times like that popped up, he'd made some excuse like leaving his axe in the arena or having business to get to and quickly escaped the scene.

He was quickly becoming scared to step outside his own house.

Today, though, was going to be different. Before he could run off like usual, Malik had grabbed Yugi by the back of his vest and dragged him over to the group.

"Hey, what gives?!" Yugi struggled slightly, trying to break free of the mentor's hold. "I have somewhere I really have to be!"

"You can take a second out of your busy schedule to listen to an announcement." Malik rolled his eyes, dropping the short teen to his feet. "Now, everyone listen up! Based on your achievement and skills in the arena, Yugi and Joey will be going against each other in the Ring tomorrow."

"_Against_ each other?" Yugi paled.

"More like two against one." Malik said. "You have the same opportunities to take down one dragon, a Gronkle. The one who shows off the most strength with finesse will be chosen to pass the final level of training and kill their first dragon in front of the entire village!"

As the rest of the group cheered, Joey shot Yugi a deadly glare. The blonde had noticed the other's abilities growing at an impossible rate, a rate that caused suspicion. If the little squirt was cheating, the blonde would find out.

Seeing the glare, Yugi gulped.

"All right, that's all." Malik waved them off. "See you all tomorrow."

"Er, yeah…" Yugi muttered, still frozen in shock. Killing a _dragon_? There was no way he could do that.

Right then, someone knocked into his shoulder, _hard_. Letting out a short cry, Yugi looked up to see Joey staring down at him in disdain. "Don't get in my way tomorrow, or the dragon won't be the only thing killed."

"R-right." Yugi cowered back, wishing that he could be anywhere than where he was now. A flight with Yami didn't sound so bad at the moment.

o0O0o

A single, war torn ship pulled into port, its hull barely holding together. Fire scorched the wood frame and its sails had claw-marks slashed through them. The entire crew of the formerly three ships was packed onto that one, only a few missing.

As Solomon tied the boat down, the rest of his crew piled off, disheartened by their loss. At a call of his name, the chief looked up, spying a certain platinum blonde head through the crowd of Vikings.

"Solomon!" Malik greeted. "I'll be happy to inform you that your troubling days are over!"

"Over?" Solomon stood up, not comprehending. Before Malik could answer, a drove of villagers greeted the chief as they helped to unload the ship. Among the greetings, there were various other words that the chief picked out.

"It's a miracle!"

"Everyone is so relieved!"

"It's about time we got rid of that little nuisance!"

At the last one, Solomon's face paled, unbelieving of the words his ears were hearing. In stunned silence, he turned to Malik, "He's gone?"

"Uh…" the blonde hefted a barrel onto his shoulder. "Yeah, most afternoons; but who can blame him? I mean, the life of a celebrity is a hard one!"

"Celebrity?" the shocked look of despair melted into one of confusion.

"You should see him," Malik gave a large grin. "Who have thought, you know? That he would survive in the ring? But he's a natural! He has a way with the beasts!"

"Yugi?" Solomon gave him a look of disbelief. "_My_ Yugi?"

Malik simply shot him a smile. "He's really a one of a kind."

Setting down the barrel with some of the others, Malik wiped his hands off and turned back to the chief. "You should really see him. Down in the arena, it's like he's in his element. Training is an hour after lunch, sharp! More or less…"

With that, the trainer walked away, leaving the chief behind speechless.

o0O0o

Phantomworks; aw, short! I thought I was over that!

**Alice; apparently not.**

Phantomworks: I'll make the next one longer! Please review!


	12. Chapter 12

Phantomworks: Yay! More! Hoping that it will be only a few more chapters here.

**Alice; you better be quick.**

Phantomworks: I don't own Yugioh or HTTYD or their characters, only this fanfic.

Chapter 12

"We're going to take this nice and slow, okay?" Yugi said nervously as he triple checked his harness. Before him, his cheat sheet was clipped snuggly into place. The black dragon beneath him waited patiently at the edge of a cliff, the wind dancing beneath his outstretched wings. He wanted so much to leap into the air and feel the rush of flying, but he knew he had to wait for his rider.

The silly human fretted too much, but he wouldn't trade it for the world. He had become quite… attached to the little thing.

"Okay, everything's in place." Yugi muttered to himself, holding onto the hand grips that he had built into the saddle. Flexing the foot pedal, he made sure the fake tailfin would work. Letting out a deep breath, he nodded to himself, determined. "Let's do this!"

Hearing the signal from his rider, Yami took several steps back before rushing forward and leaping off of the cliff. He heard his rider gasp before his tail clicked into place and the two dove to the water, pulling up just in time to skim along its shifting surface. It was a smooth ride so far, gentle breeze and low altitude. The Nightfury could feel his rider relaxing.

Then came the rock.

"Sorry!" the human apologized quickly as Yami's shoulder rammed into the boulder. Shaking it off, the reptile forgave his rider, or would have if the other didn't steer him into another boulder, this time on the other side. "My fault!"

Yami smacked the human with his ear.

"Ow! I know, I know!" Yugi muttered, checking his cheat sheet. "Switching to position three, er, four."

Shifting the petal down with his heel, Yugi pulled a lever with his right hand that would allow the fin to slide into a second set of positions. With the shift, the Nightfury's tail descended, pushing the dragon to fly upwards. Laboring against gravity, Yami let his tongue loll out as he climbed higher into the sky.

"This is amazing!" Yugi exclaimed, throwing his hands up. "Splendid! Inspiring! Awe-striking! And- MY CHEAT SHEET!"

As he said that, the fluttering piece of parchment ripped from its place and cart wheeled over his shoulder. Scrambling to get it, Yugi twisted on the saddle, trying to snatch it before it got away completely.

He failed to notice Yami reaching his peak and gravity winning its fight.

"Oh no!" Yugi gasped as his hook slipped from the ring, allowing both him and Yami to freefall. He had grabbed the sheet, but had lost something so much more in his effort. "No no no no no!"

Panicking, Yami flapped his wings uselessly, trying to right himself with a tail that refused to listen to him. His human, too was trying to get closer and help the two of them. Meanwhile, the ground was growing every closer.

"Just, angle yourself towards me an-!" Yugi was almost horizontal as he reached for the dragon, only for the reptile to start spinning as it tried to heed his advice. "No! Just _angle_ yourself and –OW!"

Okay, that _may _have been pay back for earlier.

"Lemme just-!" the teen somehow managed to find a grip on the saddle and slipped his foot in. it was then that the tree line came into view and the ice covered mountain gave way to dangerous spikes. Gripping the sheet with his teeth, Yugi pulled back with all his might, shifting the dragon's tail.

At once, Yami righted himself, wings snapping out to slow their breakneck speed. The sheer force it took to stop had him wincing against the strain, even as the trees came closer and closer to them. Suddenly, the tree line ended at a maze of rock formations that had even less space than the first formations.

Staring at his cheat sheet, Yugi tried to focus on the fluttering piece of parchment, his heart beating loudly in his ear. Two glances at the approaching death trap and he tossed the sheet behind him. Body close to Yami's back, Yugi felt something in him snap.

One second, the two were two separate beings with different limbs and functions. In the next, they were one and the same, thinking with the same mind. Acting on instinct alone, the human shifted his foot back violently and leaned into the turn. The next second had them twisting the other way, barely avoiding the boulder in front of them.

Wide amethyst eyes filled with bright wonder as he made a game of guessing which way to go. Red eyes widened at each turn, getting a thrill out of waiting until the last minute to turn. It made both the human and the dragon's heart beat faster at the thought of 'will this be the time we crash?'.

It certainly made Yami feel the adrenaline through his veins.

Finally, they made it out of the maze, Yugi throwing his hands up in victory as wind danced through his hair. Bursting with happiness, Yami blasted a fireball in front of them, making it explode in his own victory dance.

"Oh no." Yugi sighed as they flew head first into the resulting explosion.

O0O0o

An hour later found the two sitting along a vacant length of rocky coast that was several feet about the water table. Yugi had fished up some catch and was roasting an Icelandic Cod over an open fire. Yami was devouring another pile of fish, letting the human rest against his side. When their eyes met, Yami coughed up half of an eaten fish, making Yugi go green in the face.

_**You eat?**_

"Uh, no thanks." Yugi held up a hand and showing off his own catch. "I'm good."

Right then, a flock of Terrible Terrors decided to drop in for lunch. At the sight, Yugi pressed himself closer to Yami's side as the dragon growled, clutching his pile of fish closer. One of the Terrors snatched the half-eaten fish, dragging it away from the Nightfury to nibble on it.

One of its brothers quickly stole it away.

Another tried to sneak a fish from Yami's horde. Evidently, it failed as Yami yanked the fish back and ate it whole. Angered, the Terror kicked up some dust before drawing in a long breath, preparing to fire.

Yami fired first.

The little Terror inflated like a balloon before flopping down onto the ground. Coughing out smoke, the little reptile stumbled off, much to Yami's amusement if the growling chortles were anything to go by. Taking pity on the small dragon, Yugi threw his fish to it. "Here you go little guy."

The Terror hesitated only a second before swallowing it whole. Then it blinked at him and cautiously made its way over, pausing a few times to gauge his reaction. Other than a slight tensing, Yugi remained unmoving, watching curiously as the dragon waddled over and nuzzled his arm.

Moving it obediently, Yugi held his breath as the small reptile curled into his side. Cautiously, the human pet along the dragon's warm belly, staring in awe as the dragon cooed and closed its eyes. He stared at it a while longer, "Everything we know about you guys… is wrong…"

Then he realized what time it was.

"Oh no!" he cried, jumping to his feet. "The final training lesson!"

o0O0o

"Glad you could join us, Yugi." Malik said as the teen and Joey were led into the arena. "You're only an _hour_ late."

"S-sorry. I lost track of time." Yugi said, readjusting his helmet before pulling his fingers away. His Grandpa had given it to him just the night before. Apparently, it had been his father's helmet and before that, his grandmother's… breastplate.

Yes, it was an awkward conversation, thank you.

"Of course y'would, wit' all'a yer special duties 'n stuff." Joey drawled, sarcasm obvious.

"Enough of that." Malik ordered, "Remember, whoever takes down the dragon in this challenge, will have the honor of killing his first dragon tomorrow."

"Right." Yugi said, shrinking in on himself. He really, _really_, didn't want to do this. Especially now that… _he_ was back. Looking up into the crowd, Yugi saw his Grandpa looking down at him with such pride in his eyes. The man waved, coaxing Yugi to smile and wave back with his axe before the smile dropped and he sighed.

"Good luck." Yugi told Joey.

"J'st stay out o'my way." The blonde glared darkly as Malik left, closing the iron door behind him.

"Right." The small teen said, hiding behind the nearest wooden obstacle. The blonde did the same, taking cover on the other side of the arena. Above, Malik pulled the rope to release the dragon. He had chosen a Gronkle for both irony and its symbolic nature. The first and last dragon the team would face together.

And also one that Yugi had nearly died defending himself from.

Once the dragon was released, Joey leapt into action. Rolling from one wooden wall to the next, he paused only long enough to give himself a pep talk, "This time. This time, _fer sure!"_

Gathering his courage, he leapt from his hiding place with a loud war cry, only to stop in his tracks.

Yugi flinched from the sound, his weapon, shield and helmet all on the ground as the Gronkle lay at his feet, tongue lolling out the side. For a long moment, the two stared at each other until the crowd interrupted the silence with loud cheers and applause.

"Son of a bat-blistered troll-!" Joey shouted as he threw a tantrum right on the battlefield, hurling more and more nonsensical insults.

"Well…" Yugi stared wide-eyed before trying to sneak off. "If that's all, I'll just be-!"

"Where do you think _you're_ going?" Malik asked, a grin splitting his face in two. Grabbing the teen by the back of the shirt, he dragged him back over to Joey.

"I was just-You see-! I have somewhere I really need to-!" the blade of an axe cut him off.

"_Where_?!" Joey demanded, breathing harshly, his entire form trembling in anger. "Where _exactly_ is it that you need to be?!"

"Um…" Yugi trailed off, realizing that every person in town had gathered to watch their final fight.

"Now, the Elder Gothi shall choose the victor who will slay the Monstrous Nightmare tomorrow." Malik looked way too happy at the prospect of a dragon being slain, in Yugi's opinion. Above, the crown parted ways to allow a small, hunched figure an up close look at the people in the arena.

In an instant, the crowd fell silent, everyone holding their breath.

Malik raised a hand, gesturing to Joey. To everyone's surprise, the elder shook her head.

With a look of slight doubt, Malik gestured to Yugi. At that, the elder let a small, crooked smile grace her lips and nodded.

"Yugi, you have been chosen!" Malik shouted, ruffling the teen's hair.

"I've-what?" Yugi stood there, gaping in bewilderment. A portion of the crowd took this moment to rush him, throwing him up on top of their shoulders. "I-I won! This is great! Awesome! I am so…"

o0O0o

Phantomworks: next is more flying!

**Alice; you like flying, don't you?**

Phantomworks: Immensely so. Please review!


	13. Chapter 13

Phantomworks: hello again and welcome to this week's episode of Drama: Live!

**Alice: Dragons: Live.**

Phantomworks: Dragons: Live!

**Alice; we hope you enjoy the episode.**

Phantomworks: I don't own Yugioh or HTTYD or their characters, only this fanfic.

Chapter 13

"Leaving." His voice echoed through the grove as he dragged a basket of supplies after him. "We're leaving. It's time to take a little road trip for just about forever."

The teen dropped the basket and sighed heavily before looking up, amethyst eyes scanning the surroundings for his scaly friend. "Yami? Where are you? We have to head out before the sun rises!"

"Going somewhere?" a familiar voice made the small teen jump. White hair glistened in the moonlight as its owner sharpened a light, one-handed sword. It was one of the lighter weapons that Vikings used, the only one that Yugi and one other person could lift.

"R-Ryou…" Yugi greeted nervously. "I… didn't see you there! Are, uh… are the others here too?"

"Duke is pouring over the dragon book to figure out what he messed up. Malik is talking with your grandfather and Joey is attacking any wooden target he can with his axe. He's pretty mad that you beat him, which brings me to the question…" the albino jumped gracefully from the rock, coming up to the petite teen with his sword still drawn. "How _did_ you do that?"

"Er… dumb luck?" Yugi tried, backing away from glowering brown eyes.

"Joey is the one that believes in luck, Yugi. Not me." Ryou stepped forward, backing Yugi into the stone walls. "So tell me how you did it. Of all the people, I expected to _at least_ be better than you. You're smaller, weaker, and clumsier. I should have at the very least, been in third, but that's not what happened. What's your secret?"

"I, um…" Yugi nervously glanced off to the side, seeing bright red eyes watching him, narrowing as he was pressed further back against the stone.

"Is someone training you? Is _that_ how you got so good?" Ryou gave him a critical eye, just now taking in the sight of Yugi's harness. To him, it looked like something out of a bondage fantasy. Giving it a brief tug, he raised a disapproving eyebrow. "I hope it doesn't include _this_."

"W-well, this is, uh…"

_Growl…_

"Sh!" Ryou cut the teen off, shoving a hand over his mouth. "Did you hear that?"

"NO-! No, I didn't!" Yugi said, jumping in front of the albino with a nervous smile. "All right, you caught me! I've been making… outfits!"

Ryou gave him a dubious stare before going back to peering through the shadows. Popping his head up in the other's line of sight, Yugi kept the act up, hoping to somehow figure out how to make Ryou leave before… other things happened.

"So, I'm all yours! Take me back, tell my grandfather-!" just as Yugi reached for the other's hand, the albino took his, bending it back over the petite teen's shoulder and dropping the Viking to the ground, "OW! Why would you _do_ that?!"

"Quiet!" the albino ordered as he scanned their surroundings again. At his treatment of the teen, the hidden shape could take it no longer.

Transforming into his dragon form, Yami leapt from the shadows, roaring and baring his teeth at the albino. Faced with an actual _Nightfury_, Ryou did the only thing his mind could comprehend.

Scream and run in the other direction.

"wait, _wait,_ WAIT!" Yugi shouted, ripping the sword from Ryou's hand. Spinning and flinging it into the lake, he let his momentum carry him to face the raging dragon that had come to be his friend. "Yami, no!"

The dragon screeched to a stop, but wouldn't stop glaring at the albino, even when Yugi tried to put himself in-between them.

"Yugi, that's a _Nightfury!_ Do you _know_ what they do to us?!" Ryou yelled, scrambling to his feet to back away.

"You just scared him!" Yugi protested, laying a hand on the dragon's nose and looking back pointedly, "He thought you were going to hurt me and so he got defensive!"

"He? He?!" Ryou started to raise his voice when the dragon growled, red eyes narrowed. "And _who_ is _he_?"

"Ryou, meet Yami." Yugi gestured to the dragon. "Yami, Ryou. He's a _friend_."

_**My human!**_ Yami snarled, not that the albino could hear him. _**Get your own!**_

"You… you're crazy!" Ryou stated before turning tail and running out of the cistern.

"Da-duh-da, we're dead." Yugi wanted to face-palm. Beside him, Yami puffed his chest out proudly before waltzing back to where he had been sleeping. "Whoa, whoa, whoa! Where do you think _you're_ going?!"

o0O0o

His breath rasped through his throat as his lungs burned with exertion. His legs tingled with pain, but he ignored it as he raced onwards to the village. He just had to get there before Yugi and his vile-!

"Ah!" Ryou yelped as he was caught mid-jump by scaly claws. At first, he scratched ineffectively at the iron grip, trying to get loose.

Then he saw the ground rushing away from him.

Screaming, Ryou clung to the reptile's arm like a life-line, suddenly not liking the fact that the dragon had only caught _one_ arm in its grasp. Kicking at the air, he yelled, "Yugi! Put me down this instant!"

"…" not answering his 'friend', Yugi spotted a tall pine tree and steered both him and Yami towards it, "Drop him, Yami."

The dragon obeyed, dropping the teen in the tallest branches of the tree. Changing the angle of the make-shift tail, Yugi and Yami perched on the top of the tree, making it bend beneath their weight. Slipping, Ryou ended up dangling several hundred feet of the ground, _again_.

"Yugi, get me _down_ from here!" the albino whimpered, feet scrambling to catch a sturdy foothold. Most of the tiny branches merely crumbled under his weight.

"I will, I will!" Yugi promised, sitting up from his slightly crouched position, "But… will you let me explain first?"

"As soon as you're done talking, I'm going to the Chief!" Ryou swore.

Sighing, Yugi relented. "At least I get to talk."

At a command, Yami leaned back slightly, allowing Ryou to get a foothold and climb back up the tree. Red eyes narrowed at the teen's suspicious look and snarled when pale hands brushed over his scales. The smallest teen reached a hand out to help the other up, but it was smacked away by an irate and slightly terrified Ryou.

Once he had hesitantly climbed onto the dragon's back, Ryou let out a nervous breath. "N-now get me down!"

"Yami, down, gently." Yugi said quietly, pleased with himself. When black wings flexed out, he turned back to smile at the edgy albino. "See? He's not that bad."

_**Tail's up**_.

That was Yugi's only warning before Yami shot into the air, a decidedly evil smirk on his reptilian face. "No, Yami! Down! _Down!_"

Instead of down, like Yugi had told him, Yami merely completed a loop in the sky as Ryou's screaming fell like background music. When Yugi shifted the tail's angle, hoping to make the dragon go down, Yami merely cocked his wings to the side and let their speed take the lead.

"_And_ now the spinning." Yugi commented, anger seething in his voice. "Thanks a lot, you useless dragon."

"Ah!" Ryou screamed, grabbing onto Yugi so tightly that his nails dug into the smaller one's flesh. Ignoring the 'ow' from Yugi, he shouted, "OKAY! I'M SORRY! I'm sorry I doubted you and followed you to the grove. I'm sorry I threatened to tell your grandfather! I promise I won't tell anyone _ever_! Just PLEASE GET ME OFF THIS THING!"

And immediately, Yami leveled out.

Yugi sighed in relief until Ryou gripped him tighter, waiting for whatever act the Nightfury had next. Tugging at the other's arms, Yugi breathed a bit easier when the albino finally relaxed and peeked one eye open.

Ryou gasped at the sight.

Mountains of clouds rose up around them; different shades of blue and silver in the light of the full moon. Above them, the stars stretched on for miles, until the very ends of the earth. Reaching out a hand, Ryou watched it go right through the cotton-looking clouds and let out a sound of awe as he felt the cool mist on his skin.

Dipping his head, Yami guided them back through the cloud layer to skim along the ocean waves.

They were mere feet from the water's surface, so close that Ryou could almost touch the moonlight liquid. He almost wanted to try, but kept his hands away, not wanting to fall off after having _just_ gained the dragon's trust.

"All right." He said quietly, still taking in the sights of flying and the feel of wind rushing through his hair. "I believe you. This is amazing."

"See?" Yugi grinned. "Told you so."

"But what are you going to do?" Ryou turned to look at a dismal looking teen. "Yugi, tomorrow is the fight! Everyone's going to be there! You're going to have to-!

Both teen's looked down at Yami.

"To kill a dragon." Ryou whispered so quietly that he hoped Yami didn't hear.

"I know, Ryou. I'm still trying to figure it out." Yugi said, cutting off when he felt Yami stiffen beneath him. "Yami?"

Suddenly, the Nightfury pulled out of his flight path, pulling himself higher and taking a sharp left turn. Soon, a wall of fog surrounded them, cutting them off from the outside world.

"Yugi, what's happening?" Ryou asked, fear entering his voice.

"I don't know. This has never happened before!" Yugi reached down, trying to get the dragon's attention. "Yami, what's going on? Where are you going?"

The dragon ignored him as his ears flicked this way and that, following some unknown sound.

Just as the teen was going to try again, Ryou yanked on Yugi's sleeve. "Y-Yugi. look!"

Amethyst eyes looked up to see a Monstrous Nightmare flying past with a whole _killer whale _in its claws. All around them, dragons sprang up from the fog, all following the same unknown sound as Yami.

"Yami, you have to get us out of here. Yami, please-!" Yugi's answer was a slap to the hand as Yami continued forward.

_**Silence!**_

Brought up short by the command, Yugi pressed himself to Yami's back, feeling Ryou do the same. Soon they came to the end of the road, a hole in the side of a giant mountain. Flying in, every dragon but Yami flew over the center of the pit, dropping their catches into the red abyss. The Nightfury flew to a small ledge that was almost completely surrounded by shadows.

Landing, Yami backed onto the ledge nervously, as if just having realized where he was. The two humans watched the dragons with unconcealed confusion.

"Glad to see that our food is being dumped into a hole." Yugi muttered sarcastically.

"What are they doing?" Ryou asked, knowing that there had to be a reason behind this. The answer came when a Gronkle flittered in from the hole, the last dragon to make it. It coughed up a small fish before scratching at its ear.

A low growl made every dragon freeze, Yami included.

Eyes widening, the Gronkle tried to make a run for it, but wasn't fast enough. The head of a giant dragon shot up, swallowing the Gronkle whole.

"They were feeding it." Yugi's mind made the connection. "All those animals were offerings!"

"Then… what does that make us?" Ryou asked, his voice trembling. Amethyst eyes widened as the giant dragon's eye spied them on the ledge.

Without another thought, Yugi ordered, "Yami! Get us out of here!"

Perking up at the thought of leaving, the Nightfury leapt from the ledge just as the giant dragon smashed into the rocks, crushing the black dragon's hiding place. All of the dragons leapt from their perches and chaos ensued as every dragon tried to make an escape. Some weren't so lucky, but Yami made it out just fine.

The ride back to the cistern let everyone's pounding hearts relax and the humans debate what exactly they had seen.

"It's like a hive!" Ryou said as he slid from Yami's back. "That thing is the queen and the dragons are the workers!"

"I get what you mean." Yugi said, face downcast. "But I don't like it one bit."

"We have to tell your grandfather!" Ryou started to run off, but Yugi caught his arm.

"No! We can't!" Yugi's eyes went wide with fear. "If we tell Grandpa, he'll want to know how we found the nest! He'll find out about Yami and _kill_ him!"

"You want to keep the location of the nest a secret so that you can keep your pet dragon?!" Ryou re-stated, his voice making it seem like the dumbest logic in the world.

"Yes." Yugi said, face serious.

That brought Ryou up short. He had underestimated his friend's feelings towards the dragon. "Oh… I…!"

"Just… give me until tomorrow morning." Yugi said. "I'll think of something."

"Okay." Ryou punched him in the shoulder.

"Ow!"

"That's for chasing me down with a dragon." Ryou stated before pulling Yugi into a grateful hug, "And _that's_ for being my friend, even before I knew it."

The action left Yugi just as shocked as the punch, but at the albino's words, he couldn't help but smile. He finally had a friend.

Well, one that wasn't scaly and didn't fly half of the time and that was good enough for him.

o0O0o

Phantomworks: and there you have it!

**Alice; so, how much is left on this one?**

Phantomworks: I'm estimating about…four-ish chapters. No lemon, sorry.

**Alice; drat!**

Phantomworks; Thanks for reading and please review!


	14. Chapter 14

Phantomworks: wow… I didn't know I could write a chapter this long!

**Alice; now if only you could do it **_**every**_** time…**

Phantomworks: good luck with that. I don't own Yugioh or HTTYD or their characters, only this fanfic.

Chapter 14

Yugi was up all night thinking. Several hours past 'lights out' and he still hadn't formed a good plan. Bad plans, he had loads of, but they all ended up with someone hurt or Grandpa being _super_ mad at him. He liked having his head attached to his body, thank you very much.

So it was hours later that he finally fell asleep, only for the sun to rise and Grandpa waking him up by banging pots and pans together in the kitchen.

"Uuhn…" Yugi groaned as he dragged himself out of bed. As he dressed for the day, he wondered what exactly he was going to tell his Grandpa. How was he going to tell him about the dragon's Nest without telling him about Yami? Feet thumping down the stairs, he was still in deep thought when his Grandpa's face filled his vision with a beaming smile.

"Today's the day!" Solomon said joyously as he fried up some eggs and thin slabs of meat.

"Wha…?" Yugi rubbed the sleep, or lack thereof, from his eyes. Foggy as it was, he mind couldn't comprehend whatever had his Grandpa in such a happy mood.

"The day of your final test!" Grandpa gave him a giant bear hug. "I never thought this day would come! You'll make the Mutou family so proud and bring our name honor!"

_The final test?_ Yugi replayed the words as his grandfather dropped him back to the floor and went back to cooking. Amethyst eyes widened in sudden realization. _Today's the final test!_

He _really_ should have escaped with Yami last night.

O0O0o

"Attention!" Solomon shouted over the low rumble of the crowd. "Silence! All eyes up here!"

Slowly, the crowd obeyed his orders. Once every eye had turned to him, the chief began his speech. "I want to welcome you all personally to the final test of the dragon training. I, for one, am surprised by how this turned out! If anyone would have told me a week ago that Yugi, my Yugi, would grow up to be a Viking of legend, I would have tied him to a mast and sent him out to see for Viking-gone-mad! And all of you know it!"

That brought a roar of laughter from the crowd.

"But to see him now, it is a sight to behold!" Solomon ran a hand through his hair. "Odin, it was rough! But I couldn't be more proud of my grandson than I am today!"

Cheers echoed above the teen's head as he listened to his grandfather's words. If only Grandpa knew, then he wouldn't be so proud. Yugi already knew that he couldn't go through with this, but for once in his life, his Grandpa was _proud_ of him!

He really didn't want to lose that.

"What are you going to do?" a quiet voice spooked him from behind. Craning his neck back, Yugi spied Ryou leaning against the wall. The albino's eyes weren't trained on him though, but on the door that held back the vicious Monstrous Nightmare that Yugi would be tasked with killing. "Yugi, you can't kill a _dragon_! How are you-?"

"I'll do what I've always done." Yugi said, turning his eyes back on the arena. "Come up with a plan and hope it works out in my favor."

"Do you even _have_ a plan?" Ryou asked, panic evident in his voice.

"I'm working on it." Yugi said, hearing the finally cheer from the crowd. Steeling himself, he donned his helmet and walked forward, "Wish me luck!"

"Good luck." Ryou said quietly as he lowered the iron cage doors and sealed his friend's fate.

Upon seeing the small Viking, the crowd went wild, encouraging him to give them a fight worth watching. Staring up with wide, nervous eyes, Yugi slowly made his way to the weapons rack. Choosing a shield at random, he turned to the weapons' side with a gulp before picking a small dagger less than the size of his hand. It reminded him of the one he'd had when he first met Yami.

"Hmm… I would have gone with the hammer, myself." Solomon commented offhandedly to the Viking next to him.

Taking a deep breath, Yugi looked to Malik who held the lever to his death wish in his hands. Nodding, Yugi said quietly, "I'm ready."

The blonde switched the lever down and let the thick wooden lock on the doors slide up.

O0O0o

In the meadow where he had been left, Yami slept peacefully, having no idea of the danger that his human now faced. However, it wouldn't stay that way for long.

It started with the sense of nervousness that had him peeking his eyes open to check his surroundings. Normally, his human would be here by now, if for nothing else than to feed him. Surely the other was just running late, right?

He tried to settle back down, when the sense of being trapped ensnared his senses. Red eyes shot open as he took in his surroundings more fully, realizing that there was a _reason_ that he was feeling this, other than the fact that he was indeed trapped. That sensation had faded with how many times his Yugi had taken him out the past weeks, so why did it seem like he was being captured all over again?

Then he heard an echo in his head, the sound of a giant board being lifted and turned on its side, unleashing a demon onto its unsuspecting prey. Fear hit him like teeth sinking into his gut and he knew without a doubt that his human was in trouble.

Yugi needed him!

o0O0o

As soon as the doors were unlocked, they flew open with a burst of motion and heat. Fire spewed forth as a form encased in it raced around the arena, skittering up the walls and trying to get out. Chains that made up the top of the arena kept it at bay until its flaming body had been put out.

Claws wrapped in the chains, the Monstrous Nightmare continued to climb until it found what it was looking for. Pale lavender eyes trained themselves on its form, frozen with fear of memories past. Ah, the cute little blonde that had tried so valiantly to kill it before. It was good to see that the human was still alive.

Then those fearful eyes darted downwards, focusing on something that was not the Nightmare. Growling, the dragon craned its neck back, wanting to know what could distract its pretty human.

Another human trembled far down below and in an instant; the Nightmare knew that this one must die.

O0O0o

Desperately scrambling against the sheer rock walls, Yami tried to get out of the cistern by sheer force. He could feel the fear mounting now that his human had a look at his attacker. While the dragon's tail was healing nicely, he still could not fly as he liked, so this meaningless scrambling was his only method to freedom.

Searching around, he concentrated on finding a place that would allow him out. The human always came and went, so there had to be a way out _somewhere_. Then he saw it.

A simple ledge that would in no way, shape, or form, hold his body, yet it might just give him the leverage he needed. Taking a running start, he winced as his feet dug into unforgiving rock and started to slide back down. No no no! If only he could reach just… a little… _higher_…!

With a sudden burst of height, his body surged upwards and his claws dug into soft dirt.

O0O0o

Stalking its prey, the Nightmare slowly lowered itself from the chain ceiling of the arena and dropped onto the stone floor. The human before it hardly looked worthy of its own human, but if it could distract the pretty one from the dragon, then this human must die.

It wondered, briefly, how to kill it. Should it bite the humans head off? Fry its tiny limbs? Or should it tear the human to pieces and offer the left-overs to the pretty one? The Nightmare didn't doubt for a second that the human would fight back, even when it was armed with only a pitiful dagger.

Oh, it hoped that the human would fight back. It would make the whole thing much more interesting.

O0O0o

A black streak tore through the forest, wings flapping every so often as he tried to gain altitude. The fake tail fin dragged behind him, slowing him down as it caught on several bushes only to be ripped free by force. He had no time to waste.

His human was in grave danger and he needed to protect him.

_**Hold on, Yugi!**_

o0O0o

The Nightmare wandered closer, tasting the fear and excitement in the air as the human slowly backed away from its giant form. This one did not try to attack blindly like the other foolish humans; the dragon would give it that. The others never lasted long before him. In fact, the human might have broken a record already!

The dragon was about to attack when the human suddenly dropped its knife and shield out to the side, abandoning them. This brought the Nightmare up short. A human had never willing been disarmed before, something that startled not only the dragon, but the crowd above them as well.

Was this a trap?

Eyeing the helmet on the other's head, the Nightmare wondered if that could be considered a weapon. If it was, then it could still eat the human. If it wasn't… well, its honor code kept it from harming those unable to protect themselves. Unless the human had magic powers, it was about as defenseless as one could get.

"I'm not one of them." The human said as the helmet quickly met the floor. Looking over the discarded weapons, the Nightmare looked at the human in a new light. The human had willingly made itself defenseless for what? So that the dragon wouldn't eat it? To show that it didn't want the pretty human?

Or was this a new tactic that the Nightmare had never seen?

"Stop the fight." The dragon heard one of the humans above order. The human before it shouted back a negative, a tiny hand reaching forward tentatively, allowing the Nightmare to pull away at any moment. Oddly, the dragon felt no need for such a reaction.

"STOP THE FIGHT!" the human above shouted again, this time slamming a hammer down onto the metal bars. The ringing that followed screeched in the Nightmare's ears, making it see double vision as fear coiled up.

So it was a trick all along!

Hissing, the Nightmare reared back and attacked.

O0O0o

Yami could feel the trepidation from his human, the fear yet confidence that was slowly taking root. It was strange that his Yugi had not been attacked yet. What kind of monster was he facing?

Just as suddenly as the confidence had come, it had gone, leaving in its wake a fear that only death itself could bring. Taking a final, flying leap, Yami shot a purple blast of fire at the chains keeping him from his human and leapt into the battle raging below.

O0O0o

"NIGHTFURY!" someone shouted as the singing of fire burst through the chains and the black dragon shot into the arena. Tackling the Nightmare to the ground, the black reptile took up a defensive position in front of Yugi, keeping itself between the dragon and the human with the ferocity of a demon.

"Get him out of there!" Solomon shouted, fear clenching in his stomach at the thought of his only grandson trapped in the arena with two of the most deadly dragons known to Vikings. He had been stupid to let Yugi get in the ring. He should have known better!

After this, his grandson wasn't stepping foot outside of their home again!

The iron cage door started to rise, but a blow from the two fighting dragons snapped the cable and sent it shut again. Every Viking there put in a hand to raise the cage door as the two dragons finished their fight.

With one last heave, the Nightfury threw the other dragon into the far wall. Shaking it's (its) head, the Nightmare stumbled to its feet. Glancing at the black reptile, the red dragon scrambled up the wall and out of the hole that the other had left upon entry.

Having won the fight, Yami turned back to Yugi, nuzzling the human affectionately.

"Go, get out of here, Yami!" Yugi shouted, trying to push the dragon towards the wall and the open hole. "Thanks for the help, but you _have to leave!_"

Yami didn't understand why his human was still scared. He had defeated the Monstrous Nightmare with ease. What could possibly still harm the human?

Then the iron cage door flew up and other humans poured in.

Growling at the sight of sharp weapons and shields, Yami snarled and put himself between his Yugi and the other humans. He had never thought that the humans would turn against their own.

"No!" Yugi shouted as Yami leapt into battle once again. Kicking and flailing, biting and spinning, Yami made quick work of any Viking that set foot in his path. Yet more and more came. There had to be a way to stop them all at once!

That's when he saw him.

The one Viking that looked on with such hatred and malice that Yami knew him to be the leader of the pack. Without a leader, the fighting horde would fall to ruin, just like with the dragons themselves.

Leaping over the other Vikings, Yami tackled the old man to the ground. Rearing back, he sucked in a hiss as he felt the fire within burn in victory.

"NO, YAMI, STOP!"

At his human's command, Yami swallowed his fire ball, licking his lips at the funny taste of gas. Looking back curiously, he blinked.

_**Why stop?**_

But he didn't get an answer as he was thrown to the ground and held down by ten full grown men. His human now screamed for him, rather than the other humans and Yami had half a mind to tell him to _make up his mind_!

"Your kill, sir." A blonde human said, offering the leader an ax. Red eyes blazing, Yami glared up with defiance, staring death in the eye. The leader waved off the weapon.

"No, put him with the others." Then old violet eyes turned their icy gaze to his human. "I need to have a _talk_ with my grandson."

O0O0o

"What were you _thinking_ pulling a stunt like that?!" Solomon demanded as he dragged Yugi into the Great Hall. The place was empty as every available Viking had been employed to get the Nightfury into a cage. "You could have gotten yourself kill!"

"I-I know it seemed like that, but he was just trying to protect me!" Yugi defended shakily.

"Protect you? They've killed hundreds of us, Yugi!"

"And we've killed _thousands_ of them!" Yugi shouted, "Grandpa, they defend themselves! They don't attack because they want to but because they _need_ to! If they don't bring food back to the Nest, then _they_ get eaten instead!"

"Wait…" Solomon turned slowly. "Did you say Nest?"

"Uh, did, um… did I say that? I really meant-?"

"The Nest. You have been there?" Solomon stalked up to Yugi, his size towering over his grandson. "How did you find it?"

"W-well I didn't! I mean, Yami did; only a _dragon_ can find the nest!" Yugi quickly covered his mouth as the words left his mouth, shock. Violet eyes widened as the thought echoed in the elder's mind.

That was why they could never find the Nest. Only a dragon could find it. To think, for so many years, they had four caged dragons that could have led them to the Nest for so long and now they had one more.

"Grandpa, please, don't!" Yugi started, "You don't know what it's like there-! The dragons, they-!"

"Ready the remaining ships!" Solomon shouted as he started towards the Great Hall doors. Now they could find the Nest and be rid of their problem permanently.

"No, Grandpa! You don't understand!" Yugi shouted, chasing after the determined man. "Grandpa! For once in your life, will you just _listen to me!?_"

An abrupt shove had Yugi finding himself on the ground, staring up at the man who had raised him since birth.

"You are not a Viking." Solomon shook his head with heavy disappointment in his eyes. "You… are not my grandson."

And with that, he left, leaving Yugi behind in the vast darkness of the Great Hall.

o0O0o

Phantomworks: ah… sometimes I don't like Yugi's Grandpa.

**Alice: hey, you're the one making him so mean.**

Phantomworks; yeah, well… anyway, please review!


	15. Chapter 15

Phantomworks: hey everyone! Sorry this update has taken so long!

**Alice: Pw's finally in college!**

Phantomworks: so saying, I can't guarantee weekly updates anymore. I'll try to finish these two stories quickly, but I'm not making any promises.

**Alice: PW doesn't own Yugioh or its characters, only this fanfic.**

Chapter 15

The dock was abuzz with activity as every boat available was turned into a warship. Barrel after barrel of supplies and trebuchet feed were loaded onto boats as armful after armful of weapons made it on deck.

It was strange to schedule a raid on the Dragons' Nest so early after the last, but no one was stupid enough to consult the chief.

Solomon stood guard over the dock, watching as his orders were carried out. If the raid was successful, they would never see wing nor tail of a dragon again. If it were unsuccessful…

Shaking his head, the old man looked up to where his grandson stood on the highest built ledge of the village. His grandson's form was almost a dot in the sky from where he was, but Solomon knew he was there.

Yugi had been forbidden from the docks, so that was as close as the teen was allowed to the Nigthfury.

How was it that his grandson, _his grandson_, had been fooled by the dragons? In the arena, he had thrown away his weapon, his shield, his _armor_ –for what? To get eaten by the Monstrous Nightmare? How far had his little Yugi been tricked by the scaled beasts?

How close had he come to losing the last of his bloodline?

Shuddering, Solomon looked away from the lone figure, knowing he was doing the right thing no matter how badly it damaged his relationship with his grandson. If the boy couldn't protect himself, then Solomon would just make sure there was nothing to attack him.

Turning a scathing glare onto the Nightfury, he growled, "Bring us home, _devil_."

O0O0o

Yugi stared out to sea.

He had watched as the boats were loaded, his grandfather boarding the lead ship. He had seen the gleam of weapons as the Vikings were armed to the teeth. Worst of all, he had seen his dragon –his _friend_, tied down, chained up, and loaded on like _cargo_.

After that, he had watched the ships pull out and catch the wind. It had taken less than half an hour for the fleet to go out, but it felt like eternity. Now he stood there, watching the horizon where the last ship had left his view.

At the moment, he had never felt so alone.

"This is pretty bad." Ryou said, coming up to Yugi's side. When he received no response, he continued. "You've lost everything; your grandfather, your tribe… your _best friend_."

"Thank you for summing that up." Yugi muttered, his shoulder sagging further. "This shouldn't have happened. If only… If only I had killed that dragon in the woods! Then none of this would have happened and I'd be living a normal life!"

"If only." Ryou said, eying the teen. "Any of us would have done it, so why didn't you?"

Amethyst eyes blinked as they slid to the ground.

Ryou's eyes narrowed. "Why didn't you?"

"I don't know… I couldn't." Yugi shrugged, looking away, "Why does it matter?"

"Because I want to remember what you say." The albino placed a hand on the short teen's shoulder. "Right here, right now."

Shaking off the hand, Yugi threw his hands up in the air. "What can I say? I was a coward! I was weak! I wouldn't kill a dragon!"

"You said 'wouldn't' that time." Ryou pointed out, as if proving his point.

"I –ah! Whatever!" Yugi scoffed. "I wouldn't! Three hundred years, and I'm the first Viking that wouldn't kill a dragon!"

The two teens stared at each other, one calm, the other fuming from his short rant. After a moment of silence, Ryou shot the other a victorious grin. "First to ride one though."

That brought Yugi up short, the teen's jaw dropping into a dumb-founded expression.

"So…?" Ryou started to ask his question a third time.

"I couldn't kill a dragon…"Yugi looked up, eyes widening in realization, "Because… he was as scared as I was. When I looked in his eyes, I saw myself."

Smiling at the teen's confession, Ryou looked back to where the ships had disappeared. "So what are you going to do now?"

"I don't know…" Yugi looked to the ground again, thinking hard. "Probably something stupid."

"Okay." Ryou smirked, "But you've already done that."

"And something crazy…"amethyst eyes brightened, focusing past the betrayal of family and fear for his friend to a new goal. Lips forming a calculating smile, the smaller teen rushed off.

"_That's_ more like it." Ryou muttered to himself before running to collect the other dragon-slayers-in-training.

O0O0o

Solomon gazed through the mist that guarded the Dragons' Nest. The winds had been with them that day. Normally, it would take three days to get as far as they had, a week at the worst. Today, however, they had made great time and arrived in mere hours.

"Chief." A familiar voice caught his attention. His old friend Arthur placed a hand on Solomon's shoulder, making the older focus on him. "There were some on the ships –not me of course! That were wondering… if you had a plan and some –not me!- were wondering, if you do… what that plan may _be_?"

"Get to the Nest and take it out." Solomon said, glaring into the fog.

"Of course! Standard Viking procedure then." Arthur mumbled to himself, fiddling with a mace. Suddenly, a low rumbling started, making Solomon turn to look at the captured Nightfury.

"Sh!" the chief commanded, holding up a hand. The rumbling grew louder until it sounded like the croaking of hundreds of tree frogs. Black ears flaps went up in attention, red eyes going wide as they stared sightlessly at the deck of the boat.

Pushing his way through his crew, Solomon took up a stance at the tiller, watching as a reptilian head perked up, moving to one side. Caged wings fluttered, as if trying to fly while a black tail swished lightly on deck. Changing course, Solomon kept his eyes fixed on the Nightfury as it unknowingly steered them to its nest.

This would be a long journey yet.

O0O0o

Yugi stared up at the locked door with trepidation. Behind the door, the Monstrous Nightmare sulked after it had been recaptured earlier that day. It was the same dragon that had tried to eat him not twenty-four hours ago and he was debating whether to let it free again.

Was he insane?

"If you're looking to get killed, I'd definitely go with the Gronkle." A familiar voice called from behind. Looking to its owner, Yugi smiled as Duke appeared behind him, along with Joey, Malik and Ryou.

"You have thought well to ask for help from the world's deadliest weapon." Malik strutted up with a cool look on his face. After a blank stare from Yugi, he added, "It's me."

"I _love_ this plan!" Joey pushed Malik to the side, gold eyes shining brightly.

"You are insane!" Duke shoved the blonde aside, getting up into Yugi's face. Emerald eyes gleamed coyly. "I like that."

A rough kick had him out of the way and Ryou and Yugi face to face. The albino smiled. "So what's next?"

Yugi couldn't help the grin that split his face.

O0O0o

The hours that followed were tedious at best. Even as careful as he was, Solomon couldn't keep the boat's sides from scraping against towering rocks and boulders. He wondered, briefly, if the trip would ever end.

Suddenly, the Nightfury lurched forward, as if to take off into the air. At the same moment, their boat hit dry land.

Around them, the sounds of croaking and chirping filled the air, sounding exactly like the Nightfury on board. Yet there wasn't a trace of dragons except for a thin red tail that quickly disappeared over a cliff. Peering around cautiously, Solomon hefted himself over the side of the ship and onto the grey sand.

As soon as his feet hit the ground, the croaking fell silent.

O0O0o

Once the four teens had assembled before him in a line, he had them remove their weapons and drop them in a pile on the far side of the arena.

Turning back to the cage door, he pulled up the lever, allowing the doors to swing open. Unlike in his previous fight, the Monstrous Nightmare crept curiously from its cage, looking around as if wondering why its doors were open in the first place.

At the sight, Malik stiffened in fear.

Stepping forward, Yugi gained the dragon's attention as he carefully held his hand out. Recognizing the human from before, the Nightmare sniffed at the offered hand, taking in the fact that the human had no weapon, as before.

Instead of placing his hand on the dragon's scaly skin, Yugi slowly backed away, coaxing the dragon to follow which the creature was only too happy to do. Behind him, Malik fidgeted uncomfortably, vision filled with only that of the Nightmare.

Shifting his foot, he saw a broken spear on the ground, the only weapon left that they hadn't been stripped of. Nerves getting the better of him, he stooped, grasping hold of the old wood. A pale hand snagged his wrist.

"Drop it." Ryou commanded, eyes sharp. Gritting his teeth, Malik obeyed. Straightening, pale lavender eyes watched as Yugi guided the dragon his direction. The blonde could only pray that the beast didn't try to eat him like before!

The Nightmare almost purred with glee as he saw his pretty human there before him.

Coming to stand right next to Malik, Yugi reached for the older teen's hand. Pulling it away sharply, Malik flinched from the dragon, memories swirling around in his head. Keeping calm, the short teen reached for his mentor's hand again, this time catching it in his grasp.

Unable to pull his hand away from a surprisingly iron grip, Malik twisted where he stood, not wanting to get any closer than he already was. Muttering soothing words, Yugi gently replaced his own hand with Malik's, placing the blonde's palm on the Nightmare's nose.

When the dragon didn't immediately bite his hand off, Malik laughed, dizzy with relief.

Hearing a purr come from the Nightmare, Yugi smiled to himself before leaving Malik's side. At that, the mentor called after him, eyes still trained on the Nightmare, but _really_ not wanting to be left alone with it. "Whoa! Where are you going?"

"If we're going to fly," Yugi paused to rummage through the weapons bin, bringing out some rope, "I figured you guys could use something to hang on to."

O0O0o

"We'll form three ranks." Solomon said, drawing in the sand as the trebuchets were set up. "Groups A and C will attack from the sides, driving the beasts into group B, our main fighting force. Everyone fights, no dragon leaves the island. Is that clear?"

Looking up to the leaders he had picked, he received several nods of understanding. Watching as the groups started to form, he eyes their target wall. "Once that cave blows open, all hell will break lose."

Weaving his way through the bodies still getting ready, Solomon took up a position at the head of all three groups. As Chief, he would be first into the fray, and more than likely the first to 'leave' it. Looking back to make sure everyone was ready, he gave the signal.

Three catapults were freed; three boulders sent sailing through the air. Striking the stone with the force of a hundred men, the boulders broke on impact. Beneath their assault, the stone wall caved.

With a final hit, the wall broke open.

o0O0o

Phantomworks: and there you go. That'll have to hold you for now!

**Alice; but we want more!**

Phantomworks: maybe after freshmen orientation. Till then, this is Phantomworks, signing off!


	16. Chapter 16

Phantomworks: again, I managed a week.

**Alice: again, not promising much.**

Phantomworks: I don't own Yugioh or its characters, only this fanfic.

Chapter 16

Silence prevailed over the iron beach. The walls had caved in and a long, narrow cave yawned out in front of them, yet not a single dragon was in sight. Solomon made a small move with his hammer, signaling the catapults to send in a single, lit shot. The ball of wood was lit a flame and flung into the opening.

The ball of fire illuminated the cave, showing the faces of thousands upon thousands of dragons.

Gathering up his courage, Solomon let out a fearsome war cry and leapt into the mouth of the cave. As his voice echoed through the cavern, the dragons screeched and took flight, shooting towards the cave's mouth.

In the chaos of wings and tails, Solomon swung his hammer to and fro, trying to beat off the scaly beasts. He whirled in a blur of motion as he defended against the savage creatures. The first dragon hit the mouth of the cave, other Vikings shoving spears in its face and driving it higher into the sky.

Soon, the swarms of dragons were everywhere, over everyone's heads, just out of reach. Then, as suddenly as they had leapt into battle, the horde disappeared. Every dragon dove into the foggy surroundings of the Dragon's Nest, never to return to the island again.

"Is that _it_?" Arthur spoke in surprise, blinking after the dragons had left. No one had managed to hit a single beast. Shrugging, Arthur turned to leave.

Scanning the boats, Solomon was suspicious. Why would the dragons choose to run rather than fight? It had never happened in the past. Sure, this was the first time the Vikings had found their nest, but was it really that simple a feat to chase of their natural enemies?

His eyes alighted on the body of a sleek, black reptile as the beast thrashed on the boat. The Nightfury yanked at his restraints fearfully, trying to somehow slip through his bindings. The dragon sensed something else on the island.

Something that was now rearing its ugly head.

"It's not over…" Solomon muttered to himself, feeling the ground beneath his feet rumble. Shouting back to his men, he ordered, "Keep in your ranks! It's not over yet!"

Turning back to the mouth of the cave, he braced himself as well; the earthquake growing in magnitude around him. Tightening his grip on his hammer, he tensed when the rumbling stopped and the world fell silent.

_BOOM!_

The sheer rock cliffs burst apart as a large scaly head thrust itself out. Two beady eyes stared down at the puny humans as the dragon tore itself from the mountain's belly. It was twenty times the size of a normal dragon with a sharp, mace-like tail and a crown of horns on its head. Just _seeing _the monstrous creature sent the men running.

"To the ships men!" one called out, to Solomon's horror.

"No! No, not the ships!" the chief tried to warn. As the first man climbed aboard, the dragon let out a noxious blaze, lighting every boat in the fleet on fire. Men immediately jumped into the ocean, trying to keep away from the fire.

When he saw the fleet of ships start to sink, Solomon knew he and his men were trapped.

Turning to one of his appointed leaders, he said, "Take the men to the other side of the mountain. Find a position to defend in."

The raven-haired leader nodded and left to do his chiefs bidding. Before Solomon could turn to leave, a hand caught his arm.

"And where do you think you're going?" Arthur asked, face stern.

"If I give that dragon something to hunt, I can buy the men some time to retreat." Solomon explained, eyes on the scaly savage.

"And I can double that time." Arthur said, eyes loyal and voice non-negotiable. It was times like these that Solomon couldn't wish for a better friend. Pulling away, both of the men waved their weapons about, shouting and calling attention to themselves through any means necessary, even insults.

The giant dragon snarled at the dancing fools and drew in a deep breath, planning to fry them alive before eating them whole. However, before it could release it's built up fire, a shot from behind tipped it over and sent it crashing back into the mountain.

"Whoo-hoo!" a voice from above let out a victorious cry.

"Oh yeah! Didja see that?!" another shouted. From the clearing smoke of the blast, a small herd of dragons flew in, forming a V with their bodies. Solomon and Arthur could only stare on in shock as the trainees that they had left behind flew in riding on the backs of their mortal enemies.

"Look at us!" Malik called happily from his place on the Monstrous Nightmare, "We're on DRAGONS!"

"This is so going in my diary as the _best_ day of my life!" Duke shouted, only to flush in embarrassment as the others gave him a strange look. Even his Gronkle looked at him funny. "What? Every adventurer has a journal!"

"You didn't say journal." Ryou pointed out from his place in the fork of the necks of a Zippleback. "You said diary."

"I MEANT JOURNAL!"

"Guys, fight later!" Yugi interrupted loudly from his place behind Ryou. "Right now we have bigger problems!"

At that, the gargantuan beast reared its ugly head, shaking off the earlier blow.

"Duke, break it down!"

"Okay!" emerald eyes scanned the monstrous body, mind calculating weaknesses and strengths from years of reading and studying. "Hard skull and mace-like tail, good for bashing and crashing. Stay away from both! Large nostrils and small eyes, relies on hearing and smells rather than sight!"

"Good!" Yugi called back. "Malik, Duke, hang in its blind spot and make some noise. Joey, find out if it has a shot limit."

"How?" the blonde shouted back, eying the beast with slight trepidation.

"Make it mad." Yugi said simply.

At his words, the teen grinned. "_Dat _I c'n do."

"Ryou and I will catch up to you in a sec. Keep it busy, got it?" the smallest of the teens didn't get a reply as the rest of his team flew into action, literally.

"HEY, UGLY! OVA' HERE!" Joey shouted as he dove in on the arena's Deadly Nadder. The Giant Dragon growled threateningly before firing a shot of burning flames, pure _red death_ at the taunting blonde. It was only because of the Nadder's deadly agility that the two dodged and lived to fight another day.

"T'anks. I owe y'one, Set'." Joey mumbled as he pressed himself closer against the dragon's back. Below them, Duke and Malik were positioned just behind the Red Death's eyes, banging wildly against their shields.

"I think it's working!" Duke shouted, only to pale as two more eyes opened up to stare at him. "Oh boy, _guys?! _This thing doesn't have a _blind spot!_"

Unable to help his friend without a dragon of his own, Yugi searched the boats for a familiar black shape that was sure to be tied down. He felt fear bubble up in his throat as he saw more than half the fleet sunk and the other half on fire.

He could only hope that Yami was okay.

Suddenly, he caught a glimpse. "There! Ryou, put me down there!"

Nodding, the albino maneuvered the intricate rope system that the smallest had made to steer both heads of the Zippleback at once. Flying the green dragon low, the trio hovered over the last ship in the fleet before Yugi dropped onto the deck below.

Shooting to his feet, he twisted around sharply, "Go help the others!"

Knowing not to argue, Ryou gave the ropes a twist and sent the dragon higher into the sky. Turning to his best friend and companion, Yugi yanked the hideous muzzle off of Yami's face. "I'm so sorry, Yami! I'll get you out of here, I promise! Even if I die trying!"

Crimson eyes blinked in understanding.

_**I know.**_

Without another word, the skinny teen grabbed a metal rod and slid it into the closed hooks of Yami's prison. Pulling and pushing with all his might, Yugi tried to loosen the hook. Any amount would do, just enough to release the chain that kept the Nightfury tied down by the neck.

If only he could just…!

"Uh oh!" Duke yelled as his Gronkle started to teeter in mid-air. Malik's Monstrous Nightmare was having similar problems. Though the banging shields were keeping the Red Death at bay, they were also messing with the riders' own dragons!

"Whoa!" Malik shouted as his Nightmare dropped to the ground. Acting on instincts, he leapt onto the nearest object, which was the Red Death, unfortunately.

"I've lost control of the Gronkle!" Duke shouted as his dragon began to spiral out of control. Throwing his hammer to Malik, he cried. "We're going down!"

Catching the hammer, the platinum blonde watched as his friend crash-landed onto the rocky beach. He breathed a sigh of relief when Duke shouted. "I'M OKAY!"

Then the Gronkle flipped over on him.

"LESS OKAY!"

Raising a giant paw, the humongous dragon set its sights on the downed dragon and rider, planning to smash them to a pulp for their insolence. Before it got the chance, Malik slammed the hammer into the beast's eyes, messing with its depth perception and distracting it that little amount.

A shot from Joey and his Deadly Nadder sent the creature off course, barely missing the frozen tactician.

Instead of celebrating, however, the team could only watch in horror as the beast fell into the water, sending a tidal wave through the remaining ships and tearing down the rest of the fleet _with their friend on board._

"Yugi!" Ryou shouted.

Pushed below the waters, Yugi's breath caught in his throat. Even though his body screamed at him to get to the surface, he pushed downwards instead, following the quick descent of his scaly friend. He hadn't been able to break the chain and he was running out of ideas and more importantly _air_.

Tugging fruitlessly on the solid metal, his lungs gave a final push before his vision blacked out, much to Yami's dismay.

A hand yanked the floating teen backwards, away from the Nightfury and towards the surface. The black dragon could only stare after the retreating figures and count the seconds down to his own watery grave.

Solomon pushed Yugi up onto the shore, waiting only long enough to hear his grandson start coughing before he dove back into the water.

"Grandpa?" Yugi called in a daze. His Grandpa hated him, _disowned_ him! Why would he help?

Below the surface, the human chief and dragon ace stared off, measuring up the other in their own mind. To Solomon, Yami had yet to do any harm and _had_ in fact, defended Yugi against the Nightmare. To Yami, Solomon had been the humans' leader and locked the Nightfury away, yet he had just saved Yugi and so deserved a second chance in Yami's mind.

And so it was with much fear and anxiety that Solomon grasped the wooden yoke that chained the black dragon down, and broke it apart with his bare hands. There was barely a pause before Yami tackled the man and gave one powerful stroke to reach the surface.

The two exploded from the water, Yami dropping the chief on the beach beside his grandson. Landing on a rocky outcropping above them, the dragon motioned to the ongoing fight where the less experienced flyers were quickly losing ground.

"I'm coming!" Yugi shouted as he scaled the boulder with an ease Solomon had never seen.

"Yugi, wait!" Solomon called, following his grandson, "Yugi, you don't have to do this!"

"We're Vikings." Yugi gave him a crooked grin as he swung himself onto Yami's back. "It's an occupational hazard."

Catching a small hand, Solomon made the teen look him in the eye. "Yugi… I am proud… to call you my grandson."

And with those words, Yugi's whole world was restored. Amethyst eyes stared at his grandfather with shock and relief. Tears welled up as he smiled. "Me too, Grandpa."

With that, the dragon and rider took to the sky to join the raging battle.

"He's up!" Joey shouted, taking his eyes off of the Red Death. That single second cost him, though. As his guard dropped, the Red Death turned its eyes on him. Mouth open wide, the dragon inhaled deeply, sucking both the Deadly Nadder and its rider closer and closer to razor sharp teeth and bone-crushing jaws.

"No, no, no, no!" Joey chanted, golden eyes wide with fear. "Com'on Seto, you c'n make it!"

Yet for every beat of strong wings, the two were sucked closer to the dragon until it was obvious that they would be swallowed whole. A sudden flare shot into the gaping mouth, startling the giant dragon and freeing the smaller pair from its grasp. The impact sent Joey flying into the air as his dragon went the other way.

"Aahhhh!" The blonde screamed as he plummeted to the ground. A black blur streaked through the air, snatching the teen up right before he hit the ground.

"Did you get him?" Yugi asked. Blinking, Yami looked down beneath, knowing Yugi could steer for them. Smiling at the human, the Nightfury let out a small purr when the blonde smiled back.

_**Caught a human!**_

Shifting the tail fin into landing position, Yugi felt Yami jerk a bit as the dragon transferred the human from his hind legs to his front; and set the teen down beside the others. In the same moment, the fin was shifted again to gain altitude once more and left the teens behind.

"Go." Joey said as he stood with the rest of the team. Weeks ago, they would never have given Yugi another look. Now, all their lives rested in his hands.

On a pass by, Yugi noticed a fact that he hadn't realized before. "That thing has wings… Let's see if she can use them!"

Pulling Yami into a tight turn, the duo fell back, wings pulled in tight to gain speed. Closer and closer they came, wind literally _screaming _as they sliced through the air.

_Steady… aim…_Yugi timed it carefully, feeling Yami tense beneath him. _And…_ "Fire!"

Purple light exploded as the Nightfury let loose the terror of his name.

o0O0o

Phantomworks: great! So a battle, a victory and an epilogue.

**Alice: chapter-wise?**

Phantomworks: two possibly three. Then it's on to Broken! (here's older fans cheer in response) Thank you and please review!


	17. Chapter 17

Phantomworks: and here's the last chapter!

**Alice: wait, last? You said there was another one!**

Phantomworks: well, I thought the fight scene would take longer than it did.

**Alice: and it didn't?**

Phantomworks; only 500 words.

**Alice;… wow.**

Phantomworks; I know. So saying, enjoy your last chapter of Dragon Training! And be ready for the… fifth? Chapter of Broken!

**Alice: Phantomworks doesn't own Yugioh or its characters, only this fanfic.**

Chapter 17

The shot rocketed into Red Death's side, causing the mammoth of a dragon to fall over with a groan. At the action, the Vikings cheered, thinking the battle won, but Yugi knew better. Just as he had planned, the giant rolled its shoulders and stretched its wings.

With a roar, the Red Death shoved itself onto its feet and pushed off into the air. Its wings swooped low in a powerful downbeat that instantly had it gaining height. Knowing its next move before the dragon could even act on it; Yugi crouched over Yami, hugging the black dragon's back.

A quick shift in gears sent them away from the island, swerving through spiny rock formations and treacherous waters. Any thought of losing the dragon in the obstacle course were thrown from his mind when Yugi saw the Red Death simply ram right through them. Giving up on the 'out-maneuver' plan, Yugi leaned forward to speak into Yami's ear.

"Okay, Yami." His heart beat loudly in his ears. "It's time to disappear."

Switching to the next gear, the dragon and rider stretched backwards, wings beating hard as they climbed into the air. Down below, the Vikings watched with horrified rapture. Here it was, the boy who they never thought would kill a dragon and had so proven in the ring, was taking on the biggest dragon they had ever seen single-handedly.

If he survived, he would be the greatest Viking to have ever lived.

If not, he would make the greatest hero epic of all time.

As Yugi and Yami climbed higher and higher, Red Death followed them eagerly, mouth open wide as if to gulp them down in one bite. The few times that they seemed close enough, that gaping jaw snapped shut, missing them by mere inches.

Higher they climbed until the three dove into the dark cloud layer and two of the trio vanished from sight. Large wings still beating, Red Death whirled in a slow circle, looking around for its lost prey. A small shriek, a siren's call, sounded just before a burst of purple light shot into the giant dragon's wings.

Roaring in pain, Red Death wheeled around, trying to find the source, only to miss it completely and be hit from behind. On the ground, the Vikings could see nothing except the shadow of the great beast as shot after shot were fired.

Fed up with this sneak attack, the Red Death inhaled loudly before exhaling a solid stream of flames. Twisting this way and that, the reptile fired in every direction, trying to smoke the dragon and his rider out.

"Shoot!" Yugi hissed as he ducked under a tongue of flame. Glancing back, he saw the Nightfury's fake tail alight with fire. "Looks like we're out of time, Yami, time to wrap this up."

Targeting the Red Death's face, Yami shot a single blast before he dove downwards, slicing through the air like a knife. Enraged by the dragon's defiance, the Red Death dove after them, wings pulling close to its body.

Checking the gears in the tail fin, Yugi mentally cursed when the tail failed to respond. Not letting his worry show, the teen spoke to his dragon encouragingly. "We're doing, Yami, just a little more!"

Behind them, the Red Death opened its mouth wide, inhaling as green gas bubbled up from its stomach.

"Hold it…" Yugi pressed himself to Yami's back, eyes closing as he focused on the sound he had heard every day for his entire life; the sound of a dragon making fire. "Hold it…"

_Hiss_…

Just a little more.

_Hiss…_

Just a little…

_Sizzle…_

"NOW!" Yugi shouted. In that split second, Yami whirled over, claws digging at the air as he sucked in a quick breath to fire his final shot straight into the monster's belly. Shocked, the Red Death choked as fire snapped at the green gas that it had been building up.

Before it could focus on that problem though, the behemoth saw the ground rushing up beneath them and spread its wings out, trying desperately to slow down. Instead, freshly burned holes tore at the thin membrane of its wings, rendering them completely useless.

Letting his own wings stretch out, Yami was caught up like a leaf in a whirlwind seconds before the falling time-bomb hit the ground. Ramming into the mountain, the fire in the Red Death's stomach was released all at once, forming a chain reaction explosion that ate up its body.

Swerving among its spiny scaled back, Yugi tried desperately to take control of the fake tail only to whimper when it refused to be of use, the leather having burned completely away. So preoccupied with the tail situation, he didn't see the oncoming danger until Yami let out a frightened squeal.

The dying dragon's sledge-hammer of a tail was coming right for them.

"No, no, no!" Yugi chanted as Yami thrashed about, trying to change directions and failing miserably. Amethyst eyes growing wide, Yugi braced for impact just as the solid weight slammed into them.

With the force of the blow, the rider was knocked from his mount. Arching backwards, Yami scrambled uselessly in air as he tried to locate the small human. Spying him falling into the explosive flames, Yami didn't spare a second thought as he twisted around and dove into the inferno.

The last thing Yugi remembered as he descended into the flames was Yami reaching out towards him, before he was swallowed up by darkness.

O0O0o

It was hours before the fire was put out and the smoke cleared from the beach. It was hours since the dragon had been incinerated right before the Vikings eyes and the rider and his dragon had fallen into the aftermath.

It had been hours since Solomon last saw his grandson alive.

Now that they could see clearly, every Viking young and old was searching for the mismatched pair. They looked under piles of rubble and smoking debris. Every crevice was searched to no end.

Suddenly, Solomon spied a dark figure strewn out along the beach, nestled up against a rocky outcropping. Hope springing up in him, the chief called the out to the others, ending the search. Rushing over, he let his eyes scan over the beast before feeling his heart sink.

The Nightfury's saddle was empty.

Looking along his length, Solomon noted the warped remains of the fake tail that Yugi had created without his knowledge. How good of a chief was he if his own grandson could hide things from him?

How good of a chief was he if he couldn't protect his own blood?

Falling to his knees, Solomon felt tears coming to his eyes for the first time since his son died. Numb to the world, he could only stare on as the Nightfury opened dazed crimson eyes and peered up at him. Knowing that he could not blame the black reptile, Solomon drew in a heavy breath.

In reality, this beast was the last one to see Yugi alive, his last connection to his grandson. For that reason and that reason only, Solomon braced himself and uttered words to not only the scaled beast, but also to his grandson who was lost to him forever.

"I… I'm sorry." The chief said brokenly. Crimson eyes blinked before widening slightly.

_**Apology accepted.**_

Rolling onto his side, Yami unfurled first one wing, then the other, revealing his soft underbelly and fresh caught prize. There lie Yugi, safe and sound within his arms.

Gasping, Solomon lurched forward, hugging his grandson's body to him. Throwing his helmet to the side, he pressed an ear to the teen's chest, listening for the thud below. Sure enough, a strong, regular heartbeat responded, making Solomon laugh with relief.

"He's alive!" he shouted, to the anticipation of the rest of his clan. At that, the Vikings cheered, for their hero had lived and a new legend was born. Even the dragon(s) chimed in, finally free from their Queen's terrible reign and now friends with the ones that had once hunted them.

The Vikings still gave them strange looks.

Laying a hand on the Nightfury's head, Solomon smiled warmly, "Thank, for keeping him safe."

"Well, you know…" Arthur gestured downwards. "_Most_ of him."

Both Yami and Solomon shot him an unimpressed look.

O0O0o

Warm, slobbery, and slightly sandy in texture; that's what Yugi awoke to being slathered on his face. Groaning, he kept his eyes shut, hoping that whoever was pranking him would go away. Another sloppy lick had him cracking his eyes open to get a glimpse of the stubborn prankster.

At his stirring, Yami grew excited, leaning up closer to lick his face all over, the dragon version of a kiss. Laughing while trying to hold the dragon at bay, Yugi muttered out a, "Yami! Yami, sto-OOF!"

Sensing that he had hurt the human, Yami backed off in a flash, sitting beside the bed while panting happily.

_**Awake!**_

"I'm… I'm in my house?" Yugi asked, looking around in confusion before his eyes focused back on Yami. "_You're _in my _house_!"

_**Awake! Awake!**_

Excited as he was, Yami bounced around the lower level of the chief's home where Yugi had been moved. Technically he wasn't supposed to be in the house, but look at what happened _last_ time he left his human alone!

"Yami." Yugi called, trying to calm down the overly-excited dragon. "Yami, stop!"

As if not hearing him, the dragon jumped onto the rafters, which had looked like a good perch from the ground, but turned out to be on the skinny side.

"Yami!" Yugi's voice rose as he started to get out of bed. "Ya-!"

Then he noticed a weight on his leg.

At the sudden halt to his name, Yami peered down, blinking large strawberry eyes. He saw his human freeze in… shock? Or fear? Slinking down from the rafters, the Nightfury took up a post as his human's side, offering any help he could.

Taking a deep breath, Yugi tugged off the blanket that covered his feet to find… a cast made of tight cloth and straight sticks.

"Oh thank Odin." Yugi sighed. He had thought that he'd lost a leg or something! Most injuries Vikings got ended up getting sawed off for lack of better medical practices. He wondered what had allowed him to keep his limb.

Taking a look at Yami, he vaguely understood why.

Putting his feet on the ground, the teen hissed when he tried to put pressure on his leg. The pain blinded him so much he almost wished his leg _was_ gone, key word being _almost_.

Sensing a way he could help, Yami ducked his head under Yugi as the teen fell forward, catching his human before he could hit the ground. Wobbling on one leg, Yugi hugged Yami tightly in thanks. "Okay, let's go."

Using the Nightfury as a support, he hobbled over to the block of wood that served as their front door. Absently, he noted that the fake tail he had made for Yami was nowhere to be seen. The dragon's tail, however, was healing nicely, only a few bends that looked off compared to the other side. Having made it to the door, the teen pushed off of his companion and reached for the wooden knocker to pull the door open.

Only to get a face full of a Monstrous Nightmare.

"AH!" Yugi screamed, slamming the door shut. Pressing his back to it, he forced his heart to calm down. Preparing to open it again, he gave Yami an order. "Stay here."

The Nightfury blinked at him as his human opened the door.

Stealing himself, the chief's grandson opened the door again, slower this time as he prepared for attack. Instead, he found the coast clear. Well, not clear as much as dragons perching peacefully everywhere and even a few others flying on their backs.

"What the…?" Yugi mumbled to himself as he took a few stumbling steps out into the new world. A world where dragons and humans lived side-by-side without a care in the world. "I knew it. I'm dead!"

"Hah!" Solomon laughed as he came up to his grandson, giving the teen a slap on the back. "No, but you gave it your best shot. Turns out, all we needed was a little more of…"

The chief waved a hand in Yugi's direction, "This."

"You just gestured to all of me." Yugi said, unable to keep the smile off his face.

"Well, most of you." Malik said, popping up behind the chief. Pointing to Yugi's wrapped leg, he smiled cheekily, "That part's _my_ handiwork."

"Malik!" Yugi beamed at his friend. "I'm so glad you're safe!"

When the rest of his friends and dragon-fighting buddies appeared, he added, "All of you!"

"Yeah, we're glad yer okay too." Joey said, putting a hand on his hip. "J'st one question?"

"What?" Yugi asked, blissfully ignorant.

"When were you going to tell us about _them_?" Ryou butted in, jabbing a thumb over his shoulder at a group of five under-clothed teens. Honestly, Yugi had never seen them before in his life, so he had no idea what Ryou was talking about.

"Excuse me?" the violet-eyed teen said.

"Yugi! You'll never believe it!" Duke jumped in. "Our dragons turned into _humans_!"

"…" amethyst eyes widened comically. "SAY WHAT?!"

"Yeah, isn't it awesome!?"

"I thought it was only Yami!" Yugi said, startled when the teens stared at him.

"So you _knew?_" Malik asked, eyes wide.

"Not entirely. I thought only Nightfuries could do it!" Yugi said. "I've never seen another one change!"

"Because we only change when we feel that we are safe from harm." A tall brunette with ice blue eyes cut in, placing himself to Joey's right. When he spoke, Yugi flinched back, surprised; the others, however, were used to it.

"You… you _talk_?" Yugi stuttered.

"We're not imbeciles, you know." A white head with green eyes popped up on Ryou's shoulder.

"Well, most of us." His twin with purple eyes said. "We're not sure about Marik."

"Malik-pretty! My Malik-pretty! All mine!" another platinum blonde sang as he gave their mentor a big hug.

"I-I didn't mean it like that." Yugi said, backtracking. "It's just that, Yami…"

"Yami?" another brunette with brown eyes looked over Duke's head. "You mean the Nightfury?"

"Does he have a different name?" Yugi asked, suddenly feeling like he'd overstepped a line. Yami had never told him, but then again, the dragon-man hadn't said anything much.

"No, that's his name all right." The blue-eyed one said. "In your tongue at least, the most obvious choice in the world if you asked me."

"Why do you sound so surprised then?"

"Because my cousin is an anti-social brat with no manners." The brunette said, earning an elbow from his human. "Can't even care to learn human talk."

"Seto!" Joey hissed.

"What?" Seto said, "It's true."

"Wait a minute." Yugi paused, "You're the Deadly Nadder, right?"

"Yes. What of it?" 'Seto' immediately became defensive.

"Then how is a Nightfury related to a Nadder?"

"Throwback genes." Seto answered easily, relaxing. "It happens every once in a while. Not just with Nadders, but any dragon really."

"Oh…" Yugi stared at the ground. He had no clue what 'genes' were, but he could look smart too. "That makes sense."

"…You have no clue what I'm talking about, do you?"

"Not a one."

Having grown tired of waiting for his human to come back, Yami gave a grumbling huff before he leapt out of the door. Forced to get used to it, the crowd that had surrounded Yugi shouted 'Nightfury!' before many of them were used as stepping stones for the dragon to get to his human's side.

Landing next to Yugi, Yami changed into a human in a split second, standing naked in front of everyone. Having grown used to it in all the time he spent with Yami, Yugi merely looked the other over for injuries, noting that the swelling in his ankle had gone down a lot. The bruise was barely there.

_**I'm bored. Let's fly!**_

"Yami, that is no way for a king to act!" Seto reprimanded harshly. Red eyes focused on him before rolling around and looking away without a care.

"King?" Yugi squeaked.

"Well, you two did defeat the Queen. Whoever defeats the strongest dragon becomes the next ruler." One of the white twins said lazily.

"The rest of the horde kind of follows them." The other piped in.

"Besides, Seto is right." The other brunette motioned to Yami. "No dragon, king or otherwise, should act like that!"

"What?" Yugi looked over. "Stand naked in a crowd?"

The dragons gave him a funny look.

"No, act like an eager puppy!" Ironically, it was Marik that spoke up.

"Oh… right…" Yugi gave a nervous laugh. "That… totally makes sense."

"Tch, humans and their obsession with clothes." Duke's brunette mumbled to himself. At an incessant tug on his sleeve, Yugi turned to look at his, er…Yami.

_**Fly now?**_

Smiling brightly, Yugi looked to Solomon. "Can I?"

"Can you what?" Solomon asked, not having heard the silent conversation.

"Go on a ride with Yami?" Yugi begged. Not knowing what to do, Solomon looked to Malik for advice.

"Well, I'd really like it if you stayed in bed for another couple days…" Malik started, thoughtfully. Seeing Yugi's face fall, he smirked, "But I guess one ride wouldn't hurt."

"Yay!" Yugi shouted, spinning to give Yami a hug. In the middle of the hug, the man turned back into his dragon form. Finding his saddle being handed to him, he gave his Grandpa a bright smile before latching it on and throwing his leg over. Once he was secured, Yami took off, stretching his wings and his tail fully for the first time in weeks.

Finally having things go right for once, Yugi let out a wild whoop of happiness and he and Yami sliced through the air at top speed.

o0O0o

phantomworks: I'm almost sad to see this story end.

**Alice: but?**

Phantomworks: but Broken is calling my name. Alley Cats too, but that's after DD is done.

**Alice: and how many chapters on that?**

Phantomworks: meh… two?

**Alice: are you sure?**

Phantomworks: … ish. Anyway, please review!


End file.
